One Summer
by jailynn
Summary: AU: Zoe finds out Harley is her real dad at the age of 15 and is sent to live with him over the summer to get to know him. She meets all the residence of Bluebell that summer, including Wade.
1. Welcome To Bluebell, Miss Hart

**Title:** One Summer  
><strong>Author:<strong> Jailynn  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Zoe/Wade  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 2633  
><strong>Feedback<strong>: Please and thank you  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Not mine, never will be mine.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Zoe finds out Harley is her real dad when she's 15 and is sent to Bluebell to get to know him.  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Romance/AU  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Unbeta'd. Please forgive my mistakes

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1: Welcome to Bluebell, Miss Hart<strong>_

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><p>It shot through Bluebell, Alabama like a firework on the fourth of July. A new girl in town. Harley Wilkes illegitimate daughter was coming to spend the summer with the good doctor and the gossip mill was working overtime. Wade Kinsella rolled his eyes at the older ladies chatting next to him as he walked down the street toward the small grocery store. He needed to pick up some things for his momma and then he had a date with the very pretty head cheerleader, Heather Knowles.<p>

"I heard she was conceived in a one night stand," old woman Harris said as she fanned herself with a paper fan. Wade didn't understand why she even used that thing. It seemed like all it was doing was pushing the hot, summer air into her face. "So scandalous."

"I wonder what she'll be like." Sandra Marks said as she sipped her ice tea. "I heard she didn't even know that her daddy wasn't her real daddy until a couple of months ago. If you ask me, that's the real scandal."

Wade pulled open the store's door before he could hear anymore of the drivel (as his momma calls it) from the gossiping women. The air conditioned air hit his sweaty face as soon as he walked in and he sighed in relief. The temperature outside was already hitting the mid-90's and it was only ten in the morning. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the list he was given before he left the house then a bright yellow basket from next to the door. Milk. Eggs. Cheese. Bread. Peanut Butter. Grape Jelly. And, his momma's guilty pleasure- which she only allowed herself once in a while when they had some money, lemon bars.

He pulled the items off the shelf and into his basket as quick as he could, smiling at the people in the store as he moved through the aisles. Wade stopped at the end of the magazine aisle and grinned. Lavon Hayes, his best friend, was flipping through an SEC football magazine, staring at the players from each college.

"Thinkin' about it being you on those pages, Lavon," he asked as he walked up.

His friend, grinned at him, his brown eyes sparkling. "I am going to end up on these pages one day, Kinsella. Just you wait."

"Wearing the crimson and white?"

"Is there any other colors to wear?" Lavon asked as he put the magazine back on the stand with careful hands. "What are you doing today?"

"Picking up some groceries for momma and then getting ready for my date with Heather. We're hanging out at the creek, you gonna be there?"

"Nah," Lavon shook his head. "I gotta get ready for football camp. It starts up this week."

"Ah come on, man," Wade placed his basket on the counter and pulled out the wad of cash his momma handed him before he left the house as the cashier checked him out. "There are gonna be some hot girls there wearing next to nothing. Plus I'm pretty sure skinny dipping is gonna be on the list of activities tonight." He grinned at his friend. "Sure you don't wanna come?"

Lavon smiled a bit shyly. "Well..."

Wade laughed joyously as he paid for the food and slapped his friend on the back. He gathered the bag from the counter and together they walked out of the store and smack into a tiny brown haired girl with giant brown eyes. She really was beautiful. Petite and sweet looking. Until she opened her mouth that was... "Hey," she exclaimed, her drink slipping to the floor. "Uh," she huffed, then glared at the boys. "Don't you watch where you're going in this town?"

Wade instantly didn't like her. Her mouth pulled into a frown at the lack of response and she placed her hands on her hips. Her cheeks flushed red and her eyes flashed in annoyance. She tapped her foot impatiently. Then huffed again. "Well..."

"Well, what, princess," Wade said, drawing out his words. Lavon moved quietly beside him, shifting from foot to foot.

"Aren't you going to offer to buy me another drink?"

Wade pretended to think about it, then tilted his head to the side. "Nope." He followed the word up with a large grin. "Come on Lavon, I need to get home and we need to get ready for tonight. See ya princess!"

He continued on his way very much aware of the glaring set of (pretty) pissed off brown eyes behind him.

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><p>xXx<p>

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><p>It was too hot. The air was too muggy. Her hair was already starting to friz out. Her skin was sticky. She wanted to go home. She wanted to forget what she found out. She wanted to go back in time to a place where her dad was her dad, her mom never had an affair and Alabama had no connection to her except when she was doing a history report on the civil war.<p>

Zoe Hart, or was it Wilkes now?, sighed, sliding down in the truck seat until she could barely see out the front window. Her stomach twisted violently as she looked at the man sitting next to her out of the corner of her eye. This was her real dad. This was the man that made up half her DNA and he was not a New York heart surgeon but a family doctor in rural Alabama.

It didn't make sense. The dots didn't connect. How was this possible? Well she knew how it was possible. Her mom took a cruise to Greece, met a man (that wasn't her boyfriend) and had a fling that led to her being conceived. Oh and then her mom lied to everyone. Zoe closed her eyes. God when did her life become a freaking soap opera storyline?

"Uh," Harley started. His voice a bit shaky. He was nervous. She could tell and was slightly relieved by that, at least she wasn't the only one. "I know Bluebell isn't anything like New York," '_Yeah, no joke_,' she thought as they passed another cow. This had to make a hundred. "But if you give it a chance, I think you might actually like it."

'_I doubt it_,' was on the tip of her tongue before she managed to bite the bitter words back. "Maybe," was what she said instead.

"Your mom told me you wanna be a doctor," he tried again. A different tactic. A different topic.

"Yeah," she still wasn't giving him much. She knew she was being bitchy but, damn it, her life was in shambles and she wanted to be a bit of a bitch. "I do."

Harley swallowed. "Well if you wanna, you can work some with me at my practice. Maybe help out with the patients."

Zoe looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time since she met him at the airport and felt a little warmth settle into her chest. Her dad, her other dad, never offered to let her visit him at work. It was nice. And even though she wanted to refuse, out of loyalty to the man that raised her, she couldn't because she did want to learn. Licking her dry lips, she cracked a small smile. "I'd like that."

The older man relaxed a fraction of an inch and she in turned relaxed a little as well. Pulling her body up a little further in the seat, she looked out the front window and sighed again. The town looked like something out of a catalog. There were sidewalks bracketed by grass and the occasional black wood and iron bench on one side and old looking buildings on the other. Nothing was touched with spray paint. Everything looked quaint, untouched, and she felt completely out of place. They pulled into a parking space on first street, Harley told her the name of it, and he turned to face her.

"I need to run into the bank really quick. Did you want to get something to drink? The dinner has some great sweet tea."

"Sweet tea?" she asked with a pulled face. What was sweet tea?

Harley laughed, rich and full, nothing like her dad's, her other dad's laugh, "Sorry darlin', it's a southern thing. I remember your mother having the same reaction when I told her about the drink. They have soda there too."

"Okay," Zoe pushed her button to unlock her seat belt and opened the truck door. She stood next to it, biting at her bottom lip as she looked at him. "Should I meet you somewhere?"

Harley smiled. Real and sweet. "I'll find you." The words felt like they meant more than the face value she was choosing to take it at. "Do you need some money?"

She shook her head, "No, I got it."

She shut the door and looked around her. She got the uncomfortable feeling that people were watching her every move. Shaking her head, Zoe scolded herself for being paranoid and walked to the diner Harley pointed out. Pulling open the door, a small bell rang above her head, causing all the patrons to turn in unison and look in her direction. This time she couldn't say she was paranoid because everyone was watching her. Swallowing roughly against the dryness of her throat, she moved toward the counter with purpose. A sweet woman, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, carrying a notepad stood in front of her. Her reddish hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she had on a pair of black rimmed glasses. Zoe looked quickly at her name tag, proclaiming this woman to be Lily, and smiled.

"What can I get you, hon," Lily asked with a smack of her gum.

"I just need a coke, or whatever you have, to go," Zoe wanted to fidget. The people in the diner were still watching her. "Please," she added as an afterthought.

"Well sure," Lily grinned, sliding her note pad into her jean pocket. She grabbed a large paper cup that had the name, Milton's Diner, written on the front and filled it with ice, _ooh ice_!, and coke. She placed it on the counter in front of Zoe and grinned. "Is that all for you?"

"Yes," she licked her lips, "Thank you."

"That'll be two twenty," Lily told her. Zoe pulled out a five and handed it to her. "Let me get your change."

"No," Zoe said quickly grabbing her drink. She didn't want to be the entertainment in this place any longer. Plus she was taught by her dad, her other dad, to always tip generously. Waitressing wasn't easy and they deserved the money for working so hard. "Please keep the change." She grabbed the cold drink and quickly turned to leave. "Thanks!"

She inserted the straw and took a long pull from the beverage as soon as she was out of the diner. The flavor danced on her tongue and she sighed. It was cold and delicious and tasted the same as the coke she drank at home, when she was allowed to drink it. Zoe was finally starting to relax, looking at all the things around her, like the large grass square in the center of town where kids were playing and the American flags flying proudly at almost every single business and the different flowers blooming on the brushes and trees lining the sidewalk, when two boys smacked into her. Her hand opened and her drink slipped to the concrete at her foot. She wanted to whine. She was still so thirsty. "Hey!"

She glanced up to see who caused the mess and came face to face with a blonde boy with piercing blue eyes. Her eyes shifted to the other boy, a black boy with sweet features and a small amount of guilt in his brown eyes, before focusing back on the blonde. He was hot. No other way to describe it. He was hot and from the way he carried himself, he knew it, which was a major turn off. And he was checking her out. Quite a lot. It caused the hairs on her arms to stand up and her back to straighten, and a small shiver to slide down her spine.

"Uh," she huffed. "Don't you watch were you are going in this town?" His blue eyes turned a little colder and a cocky smile was flirting around the edges of his mouth. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her feet impatiently. "Well..."

"Well," ooh his voice was like heated honey- sweet, hot and slightly slow- damn it, you shouldn't _like_ the sound, Zoe! "What princess?"

_Princess? Ugh_! She frowned. "Aren't you going to offer to buy me another drink?"

This boy- dressed in tight jean shorts and a white t-shirt that clung to his body thanks to the heat, pretended to think about it. His head tilted and then he said, "Nope." The word was accompanied by a large grin. She instantly didn't like him. "Come on Lavon, I need to get home and we need to get ready for tonight. See ya princess!" He walked away without a backwards glance. Of course all he would see was one pissed off New Yorker if he did turn.

The black boy, Lavon, sighed and handed her two folded dollars, "Sorry about that. Here this should be enough to get another one."

Zoe smiled and shook her head, "It's fine. Thank you though." She thrust her hand out, grinning. "My name is Zoe."

Lavon smiled, "I know. You're big news right now." He shook her hand, "My name is Lavon. Welcome to Bluebell."

"Thanks," she opened her mouth to say more, but she heard her name and turned to see Harley walking toward her. "I need to go. It was nice meeting you Lavon."

"You too Zoe," he nodded his head at Harley. "I hope to see you around."

She watched him leave and then walked back to Harley. So she wasn't paranoid about the eyes on her. Great, just great. It was going to be a long summer. _Welcome to Bluebell Miss Hart_, she thought sarcastically.

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><p>xXx<p>

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><p>Lavon caught up with Wade quickly enough and fell into step with him. "Did you have to be so rude?"<p>

"She wasn't exactly sweet and sunshine either, man," Wade defended.

"Maybe," Lavon said slowly, "but I think she maybe a little nervous about being here. I mean, think about it, she's the talk of the town, meeting her dad for the first time and she doesn't know anyone. I think she could use a friend."

Wade hated to admit when he was wrong- which is why he rarely if ever did- but he had to admit Lavon was right. Looking at his friend he sighed, "You talked with her a little?"

"A little."

"And..."

Lavon grinned. "She was much nicer after you left." Wade frowned. His friend laughed, "Maybe next time she'll show you that side."

"Eh," Wade shrugged, shifting the bag from one arm to the other. "I don't care if she does or doesn't. Now about tonight..." He wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders and walked the rest of the way home, almost forgetting about the brunette he just met. Almost.

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><p>xXx<p>

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><p>Should I continue?<p> 


	2. We Meet Again

**Word Count**: 3312  
><strong>Feedback<strong>: Please and thank you  
><strong>AN**: Big thank you to Sarah for being my beta. You are awesome! I've been overwhelmed with the response this story has gotten. I can't begin to explain how much all your words of encouragement have meant to me. Thank you so much. I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Once again thank you all!

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><p>=x-X-x=<p>

_**Chapter 2: We Meet Again**_

=x-X-x=

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><p>By the time she was back in the truck with Harley, the boy that so annoyed her (and made her spill her drink) was the furthest thing from her mind. It was too full of nerves to think about anything else. Zoe rocked side to side as the vehicle rambled down a dusty, orange clay road toward Harley's home. She turned to look out the side window, watching trees pass slowly. It was surreal in some ways because she couldn't believe she was here. She was supposed to be in New York, walking down the streets with a coffee in one hand and a worn out text book about the human anatomy in the other. She was supposed to be setting up shopping trips with her one great friend, Cassidy. She was supposed to be living her life the way it's always been lived. But she wasn't.<p>

She was in Bluebell, Alabama.

A place so small, it didn't even show up on any type of map.

And to say she was a little angered by that would be an understatement. She swallowed, tasting the bitterness of her feelings, even if it was only just a little. It was still there. Festering, burning. Zoe closed her eyes.

Harley cleared his throat and brought her attention back to him, "This is my home." He pointed to a two story house in the middle of an open field surrounded by woods not far down the road from where they were. Zoe sat up a little straighter to get a better look. "It's not much." She forced herself not to nod. It _wasn't _much. "But it's nice." He smiled at her briefly. "In door plumbing and all of that."

Her returning smile was a little shaky. "Oh, uh," she laughed weakly. "That's good." The car settled into an uneasy silence after that.

The house was old. That was the first thought in her mind when she saw it come into better view through the front window of Harley's Ford truck. It was old and rough looking. It needed a coat of paint (or thirty) and someone to take care of the lawn (which was really patches of weeds mixed in with dead grass because the heat had killed anything of substance). Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as she surveyed where she would be staying from the outside.

It wasn't horrible.

But it wasn't home.

And she missed home.

Terribly.

Zoe felt pricks around the edges of her eyes, the beginning of a full on melt down starting, and she blinked as stealthy as she could to push the emotions back. Crying now wasn't going to happen. No, she was planning on saving that for when she was alone in what would surely be a horribly decorated room at night with no one to watch her do it but the man in the moon.

The purring engine came to a silent halt in the gravel driveway and they both got out of the vehicle. Zoe stood with her back to the metal door and just looked all around her. The sun was sitting high in the sky, blazing the earth in a way she had never known. It could get hot in New York, but this, this felt like the seventh ring of hell. A bead of sweat slid down the back of her neck and she wiped at it with her hand.

"You ready to get out of this heat for a spell," Harley said, coming up beside her with her luggage. She nodded at him, not knowing what else to do. He shifted her bags (two of them...plus the two she was holding- in her opinion she packed pretty light) in his hands and led her up the four front steps to the door. The screen door creaked a little as he pulled it open, she cringed at the sound, adding double D-40 to her list of things the house needed. He opened the main door without unlocking it much to her shock. _People __really __left __their __doors __unlocked __in __this __town? _Harley stepped aside letting her enter first and she shuffled in slowly, taking in her surroundings. "I really hope you'll feel comfortable here, Zoe."

Comfortable was the last thing she felt at that moment, but once again she kept that to herself. She nodded blankly at him, still looking at all the items that made up his home. The dining room to the left of her that had a tall grandfather clock ticking away, a long table with six chairs she got the feeling didn't get used much, heavy curtains over the window. The living room to her right with a large couch, two well used Lazy-boy chairs and a rather impressive television on the far wall. In front of her were the stairs to the second floor, a blue floor runner on the steps.

"The kitchen is right through the dining room," Harley pointed to an opening in the room that lead to the kitchen area. "I, uh, I didn't know what you liked to eat. Your momma didn't really give me a list so I thought we could go to the store later and pick up some stuff for you." The older man rubbed at his sweaty forehead, nervously. "Or if you would feel more comfortable you could go and get the stuff you like yourself."

_Comfortable_. There was that word again. And once again she had no response for it, so she smiled as politely as she could, "I'm sure it will be fine, whatever you have in the house I mean. I'm not really picky."

That was a lie.

A big one.

Like really big.

She was very picky.

But Harley smiled at her and it wasn't tight or fake and she felt like maybe her lie wasn't in vain. He placed his hand on her shoulder, lightly squeezing, "Let me show you to your room."

He walked up the stairs with her trailing behind him. She looked on the wall to the side of her and studied the pictures that lined it. Old pictures. Some of Harley from when he was younger. Some of people- family maybe?- she didn't know- shocker- in different size groups. And one, at the very end, at the top, of her mother and Harley. Zoe stopped at the photo. Her parents arms were wrapped around each other. Harley's face was bright and open, younger. Her mother's expression was sweet and relaxed, nothing like the one Zoe usually saw when she looked at her.

Turning her head from the picture, because it hurt a little and made some of that bitter anger return, she continued to follow Harley up the stairs. He opened the door to the room all the way at the end of the hall, standing in the opening. She slowly entered the room the same way she entered the house, cautiously, with her eyes moving over everything. "My room is downstairs, so you'll have plenty of privacy up here."

The room wasn't big, it wasn't small. It was average. One dresser was against the wall next to the door and only had a clock on it. Another one, smaller, was on the wall next to it and had a large mirror attached to the back. A full-size bed faced the door, four pillows against the iron headboard. Turning her head, she saw another door opened in the room and walked toward it, pushing against the wood. A diminutive bathroom, barely big enough to move in, but private. She liked that.

"The closet is here," Harley tapped the door right next to where she was standing and she opened that one too. The closet wasn't little, it was tiny, with a capital T- I- N- Y. "Well, I'll leave you to get settled. If you need anything, holler."

She gave a single nod in his direction. He turned to leave and she said quickly- before she lost her voice or her courage or whatever- "Thanks, Harley."

This time he nodded to her, but she knew he appreciated her thanks from the way his back straightened just a bit as he left. Zoe went to the bags that he left by the door and placed them on the bed. She thought about doing the responsible thing and putting all her clothes away, unpacking her make-up, setting up the bathroom so everything would be where it needed to be, but thinking about it was as far as she got. Sweeping her arms against the luggage, she pushed it all to the floor and fall face first into the mattress, screaming a little as she did.

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><p>=x-X-x=<p>

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><p>Wade walked into his home, placing the bag of groceries on the counter in the kitchen. He wiped at the sweat coating his face and tried to find a small amount of breeze in the house without opening the refrigerator and trying to stick his entire body into the appliance. He looked at the clock next to the stove, grinning to himself. A couple more hours until his date with one of the hottest girls in Bluebell. He reached into the bag, pulling out the gallon of milk to put away. The rest of the stuff could wait, but the beverage definitely couldn't.<p>

The thing he noticed right away was the emptiness of the fridge. A couple of bottles of beer and water, some left over pizza and a bag of wilted salad mix his momma liked to buy (that no one ate). Wade tried not to sigh at the lack of food, but it was hard not to. He'd need to get an advance from his boss at the hardware store and actually shop tomorrow, but for now, he wasn't going to stress about it. It was summer and he had the day off, a hot date tonight, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Damn he loved summer.

His hand grazed over the bottles of cold beer, his fingers itching to grab one, but he stopped himself, taking out a bottle of water instead. He slammed the door with a flick of his wrist. Twisting the cap off the bottle, he drunk deeply, savoring the feel of cold water. Looking around him he noticed the quiet. No one was home. Not that that was necessarily an unusual occurrence. His mother worked two jobs, one as a receptionist at a local dentist office, the other as an overnight cashier at the only gas station in town.

His dad, Wade frowned even thinking about him, his dad wasn't the most reliable of men.

He quickly pushed the thoughts of his father out of his head. It's always best not to think of the man.

Wade flopped on the ratty old, barely held together couch and reached in between the cushions to get the remote. After a moment of searching he grinned in triumph as he pulled the plastic from the dirty confides. Pressing down hard on the power button, the old television came to life. He leaned back into the edge of the sofa, extending his legs out as far as he could and turned the channels until he found something of interest.

The choices were limited. Talk shows. Game shows. Old sitcoms. Old dramas. He got bored quickly, yawning widely, the heat of the day helping to put him in a lethargic mood. Finally the sound of Sports Center filled the room. He tossed the remote to the couch beside him and watched the sports news stories flash on the screen between blinking his heavy eyelids.

He had no clue when sleep claimed him completely. And if asked, he would never admit to what he dreamed, which was of a brunette girl with long brown hair laying on top of him, leaning down to kiss him. Her ruby lips soft and her pink tongue sweet.

When he does wake up, hours have passed, the show on ESPN has changed, the sun wasn't high in the sky anymore and the room felt a tiny bit cooler. Wade stretched his limbs taunt, working out the stiffness that came from sleeping on a couch and pulled his body up. Checking the clock, he grinned.

It was time to get ready for his date. Rubbing his hands together gleefully he moved toward his room, gathered his towel and toiletries then walked into the bathroom. His routine was simple. Shower, shave (Heather doesn't like stubble- said it leaves a rash and she doesn't like the redness near her mouth), deodorize, brush his teeth (fresh breath was a must), a spray of cologne and finally he gets dressed.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he smirked. He knew he looked good. And he knew tonight was going to be one to remember.

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><p>=x-X-x=<p>

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><p>She was lost. In the woods. That was too cliché for words. Somehow the path she was on, a clear one, had disappeared. Zoe frowned, staring at the trees waiting for one of them to come to life and point her in the right direction.<p>

Fat chance that would happen.

And if it did, she'd run screaming in the opposite direction.

Whose idea was it for her to take a walk?

Oh that's right hers. Damn it all to hell.

She just wanted to get out of Harley's house. She just wanted a little time to think- away from everyone and now she was going to die in these freaking woods.

Son of a bitch!

She used to walk in New York all the time. Who knew she would feel safer doing that there, than she did here in the quiet (too quiet, almost deadly so) Bluebell? Sitting on a fallen tree, she slapped at her arm, killing the fiftieth mosquito since she started this walk.

A branch broke behind her and Zoe jumped, clapping a hand over her mouth to stop the blood curdling scream from escaping her throat. _Oh __God. __Please __be __a __nice __bunny __and __not __a __giant __bear_, she thought anxiously.

Zoe searched the ground for a weapon, because she'd be damned if she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Grabbing the thickest stick she could pick up, she held it like a Louisville Slugger, ready to swing at whatever was coming- except if it was a fluffy, sweet bunny. Her eyes were wide and she waited.

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><p>=x-X-x=<p>

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><p>Wade took the short cut to Lavon's house. A path the two of them found at the age of eight, while walking to their favorite fishing hole. The woods connected their houses and pretty much everything else in town. He liked the forest. He grew up playing in the trees, chasing the animals and laying on the ground watching the clouds pass over the tops of the tall oak trees.<p>

He was just thinking about all the things he could do with Heather in this dense forest when he felt the hard object slam into his stomach, bringing him quickly to his knees. His eyes glazed over with tears. His mouth opened and closed in silent pain.

"Oh crap," a female voice said from above him. "I'm so sorry. I- oh- crap, crap, crap. Are you okay?" She touched his shoulder and he turned his head to glare at her. Her small hand pulled back quickly. "It's you." Her chocolate eyes switched from concern to annoyed anger. "What the hell are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me!"

Wade pushed himself up, his left arm curling over his mid-drift. "Are you _seriously _yelling at me, princess? You just swung a tree branch into my stomach!"

She gnawed at her bottom lip in a way that he would have found sexy if he wasn't in so much damn pain. "I didn't know it was you. I thought you were some wild... something." She straightened her spine, her hands making their way to her hips. "I was merely protecting myself."

"Hmm," the agony in his abdomen eased enough to stand up completely. "If you're so scared, what are you doing out here in the woods to begin with?"

She looked away from him and he took a moment to study her. Her long brunette hair was tied in a messy knot with small pieces escaping to frame her face. Her lips were full and red, but he couldn't see any lipstick on them. He thought they looked like ripe strawberries and he wondered if they tasted just as sweet. Her tank top clung to her chest, accentuating her curves. A flash of tone stomach appeared between the edge of her shirt and the waist of her shorts when she shifted. He would bet money that her skin was smooth like silk.

"Um," she kicked her right foot back and forth, "I, well, I'm not lost per se..."

"Per se?" He chuckled.

She frowned at his apparent amusement, her eyes narrowing, "Yes, _per __se_. It means-"

"I know what it means," he cut her off as he leaned causally against the nearest red wood. "So if you weren't lost _per __se_," the word and her use of it still made him laugh. "What were you?"

Her large brown eyes widened as she searched for something. When she had the word she wanted a slight smile curled her strawberry lips, "Exploring."

He nodded disbelievingly. "Well if that's all," Wade pushed off from the tree, "I'll leave you to it. See ya, Princess." Her hand shot out before he could move very far. She gnawed at her lip again. "Yes," he extended the word out much longer than its one syllable. "Did you need something?" Her face pulled, she obviously didn't want to ask him for help, in fact the very idea seemed to make her sick and he was enjoying every moment of her discomfort. Wade ducked his head and chuckled softly. "Would you like me to help you back to your daddy's home?" She kicked her right foot back and forth again. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. Her lips moved in a mumble. Wade leaned into her, "What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

Zoe huffed. "I said," she paused. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, it'd be great if you could help me find my way back." Her smile was sharp and sarcastic.

"I was always taught that when asking for something you should say," he leaned in closer. "Please."

"_Please,_" Zoe ground out.

Wade grinned, "Well since you asked so nicely. Follow me."

He heard her grumble, call him names and stumble behind him the entire time. Wade stifled his laughter as he made his way through the familiar surroundings. Zoe Hart was going to make this summer very interesting, he could already tell. They made it back to her home in no time. The woods weren't hard to navigate if you knew where you were to start with, which Wade guessed was her issue, she didn't know this area at all. She emerged from the trees and sighed. He turned and saw leaves and small branches in her hair. His hand itched to slide his fingers through her locks to dislodge the foliage. Curling his hands into fists, he shoved them in his front pockets.

"Thank you," she said with a slight tightness in her voice.

"Welcome," he took his hands out of his pockets, swung his right arm over his stomach and bent at the waist, "princess."

She huffed loudly, stomping toward her daddy's house, while he walked back to the woods, laughing.

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><p>X-x-x<p> 


	3. The Bet is Made

**Title**: One Summer  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 3818  
><strong>Feedback<strong>: Please and thank you  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Not mine, never will be mine.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Zoe finds out Harley is her real dad when she's 15 and is sent to Bluebell to get to know him.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Romance/AU  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Unbeta'd and not edited. Please forgive my mistakes

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><p>Author's Note: Please don't adjust your screens, it is in fact an update to One Summer. I'm so sorry it's taken so long. Life got extremely busy and then I couldn't seem to find time to write. I really hope it's worth the wait. Please let me know. Thanks!<p>

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 3: The Bet is Made<em>**

X-x-x

She had always heard that dreams were the windows to the subconscious. Well if that saying was to be believed then her windows were in serious need of washing. She couldn't even really pinpoint what her dreams were about- just that they were weird with flashes of pictures that didn't make any sense and left her extremely befuddled. Her mind was a muddled mess of confusion, which Zoe guessed made sense considering her world was just effectively flipped upside down. She rubbed her eyes to wipe away as much of the haze as she could. It wasn't easy. Her body felt sluggish, like she hadn't slept at all.

Sitting up in bed, she looked up at the ceiling and glared at the fan humming above her. It wasn't doing much as far as she could tell. It was still hot and the air was humid and she felt like she sweated the entire night. And she really didn't want to get out of bed, but somehow, she knew it would be extremely rude to Harley if she flat out refused to interact with him.

After she got back to the house last night, all she wanted to do was disappear. She wanted to forget about being lost (and found by annoying boy that insisted on calling her princess in that southern drawl that made her insides shake a little) in the woods, she wanted to forget about the trip from her home (oh New York- how she missed that wonderful place) to Bluebell, she wanted to escape reality for just a moment and become someone else. So she grabbed a book from Harley's surprisingly large collection, ran up the stairs and shut the door to the room Harley had given her to use. Sitting in the dark with a thick book, Gulliver's Travels, with only a small light to illuminate the pages, Zoe let herself drift. She fell asleep with the novel falling from her hands onto the bed next to her.

Now she knew it was time to face the day (and Harley) and stop hiding like a wimp. She wasn't a wimp. She was a New Yorker. Tough and smart- if she did say so herself. Gathering her courage, she swung her feet over her side of the bed, wiggling her toes a bit before placing them on the warm wood. Stretching her body as she rose a heavenly scent caught her attention, she moved toward the door almost in a trance. Coffee. Caffeine.

Descending the stairs, Zoe let her nose lead her to the kitchen. Harley was standing with his back toward her, cutting into something, as she entered. She was cautious of the fact this wasn't her home and even through biology said they were related, she really didn't know him from a hole in the wall. She played with the end of her gray tank top trying to think of some way to let him know she was in the room without startling him, but she was the one startled when he said, "Mugs are in the top cabinet over the coffee pot if you want a cup."

"Uh," she skirted the counter to where he said the mugs were. She reached up, raising onto her tip toes- damn Zoe hated being so short- and pulled down a colorfully flowered cup. Zoe cupped the mug in her hands before reaching for the coffee decanter. "Thanks. The coffee smells really good." _And you sound like a dork_, she thought with a roll of her eyes. "So..."

He spun around with a gentle smile on his face, "Do you take creamer? Sugar? Cinnamon?"

"Cinnamon? How-" she felt knocked off-center. No one knew that she liked cinnamon in her coffee. She always felt a little goofy adding it, but with a dash of sugar, it made her feel warm inside. "Uh, not many people add that to their coffee, how did you- um- how did you know I liked that?"

A twinkle settled in his eye and he tapped the steaming mug next to him. "My momma used to add it to her coffee every morning. I drink it that way as well." He shrugged, but she knew he was secretly pleased. They had something in common. They shared something and had no idea. She wasn't sure if she believe it was predestined that she enjoy her coffee in the same way he did, but it did give her pause. What else did they share in common? Harley handed her the cinnamon and sugar without another word on the subject. A silence filled the kitchen, only broken by the sound of the knife cutting into some melons. He handed her a plate of food and sat at the two-person table by a big bay window. She hesitated a second before following him. "I have to go into the practice later," he stopped and looked almost uncertain for a moment, "did you want to go with me? You could meet my partner. He has a daughter about your age..."

Zoe's first reaction to the "he has a daughter your age" was ugh. She didn't want to be forced to make friends. She just wanted to get through this summer and go home. Maybe that was bratty or close-minded, but it was the truth. All that aside though, she didn't want to hurt Harley. And if she was continuing with the honesty train, she couldn't deny being around a practicing doctor while he was at work did excite her. Taking a bite of juicy watermelon, she thought a moment before smiling at him.

"Sure," the atmosphere around them relaxed with that one word. The rest of breakfast was had in complete silence. Each of them lost in their own thoughts. Each wondering what the day would have in store for them.

Once again, Harley broke the quiet when he took their plates to the sink. "I saw you talking with Wade Kinsella yesterday."

"Wade," Zoe rolled her tongue along her bottom lip to catch a drop of juice that leaked from the plump strawberry she was eating. "Huh, so that's his name."

"You didn't know," he asked leaning against the counter, wiping his hands on a hand towel.

"Nope," she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. Her mind was already twisting the new information around and around in her head. Wade... yeah that fit him. She looked up at Harley, "We really haven't shared names. He is kind of a pain and... he calls me _princess_."

She knew she sounded pissed about that, because she knew deep down the nick name wasn't a compliment but rather a sugar coated insult. Wade Kinsella had already decided who she was and what she was about and that lit a fuse inside of her she didn't see being stifled anytime soon. No one really knew her, including her, thanks to her mother's lies. Zoe took deep breaths and struggled to smother the hurt.

"I really hate that he calls me that," she said before she could stop herself. "It's insulting."

Harley grinned. She narrowed her eyes at the expression. It was like he knew something she didn't or suspected something she never would. It was that parent/adult look that said, _you're too young to understand right now_, _but soon you will_. Zoe hated that look. It always made her feel like a little kid. Shaking off her annoyance she stood from her chair. "I'm going to go take a quick shower and then get ready."

"Alright then," he nodded with that smile still on his face. "I'll just gather some of my files while you do that."

She opened her mouth to say something else, but then shut it again, heading back up the stairs toward her room.

=x-X-x=

Wade hit the button on his alarm clock to silence the annoying beeping sound. He didn't want to open his eyes, God he didn't want to open his eyes. He just wanted to slide further under the sheet and sleep for the next five to ten hours and return to his very, very nice dream. He rolled onto his back, slinging his arm over his eyes to block out the morning sun's bright orange glow. A low groan escaped him as some of the harsh light slipped under his arm. His head was pounding from the beers and the music he enjoyed last night and into the early morning hours.

A smirk settled on his lips. Getting started this morning might be rough but it was completely worth it. Heather wasn't what he expected, she was so much more. A wild child that lived in the moment. But for some inexplicable reason she wasn't the one he was dreaming about just then. The red-head with long legs and a sweet body wasn't the star of his fantasy, no that part went to a small brunette spit fire from up north. Wade frowned a little. He couldn't explain that. Yeah she was interesting. Yeah she was pretty- beautiful really. Yeah she was fun to tease- and he teased her a lot in his dream, with his words and his lips. Yeah she was new and different- which was rare in Bluebell, but that didn't explain his weird fascination with her. Even with Heather, Zoe Hart, a yankee with a sharp tongue, was in the back of his mind.

Shaking his head, because deep thought at eight fifteen in the morning was just evil, he slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself into sitting position. The heaviness of the summer heat assaulted him immediately. One draw back of summer in the deep south- even the mornings felt like the third ring of hell. Taking another deep breath, he pushed the rest of the sheets off his legs and stood. Time to get the day started. Time to make some money.

He moved through his small double wide trailer, stumbling over toys his younger brother left all over the floor, toward the small bathroom. Staring in the mirror, he smoothed down his hair that was standing up in all directions with the palm of his hand. He looked wrecked. Shaking his head, Wade reached over to turn on the shower. The rush of water hit his hand as he held it palm side up to test the temperature. He could hear the TV blaring from the living room through the door as he stripped out of his boxers and claimed into the shower. Tilting his head back out of the spray, he let the water wake up his body. It took a moment or two or nine for the tiredness to drain from his bones. Reaching out, Wade poured a generous amount of shampoo into his palm, humming to himself as he did. A random song, maybe it played last night, sticking in his head like gum to a shoe.

His concert for one in the shower was interrupted by a pounding on the door. He didn't have to stick his head out of the closed curtain to listen for clues or flat out ask who it was, he knew. His pop. Wade sighed, finishing his shower quickly. He needed to get out and ready anyway. His job awaited. Wade moved through the rest of his morning ritual swiftly. Glancing at his reflection in the mirror one more time before rushing out to his ancient Chevy truck, he smirked. Even after a long night he still looked good. Damn good.

Climbing up into the rusted out bucket of bolts he called a truck, a vehicle he loved more than he should especially since the thing often times wouldn't even start, hence the reason he knew so many short cuts through the woods. He caressed the steering wheel slowly, talking to her in a deep, low voice, "Come on baby. Just start for me."

Taking a deep breath he turned the key in the ignition and sent a silent prayer up to God that she'd purr and not sputter. The engine gave a groan of protest, before coughing to life. He let out a whoop of joy and clicked his seat belt in place,easing the rusted and old truck out of the yard- a yard that was mostly weeds and dirt patches with slight spots of green grass. Wade leaned down and turned on his radio, finding his favorite station easily. The truck might be a P.O.S in general, but the radio was loud and almost always crystal clear. The final cords of an old Hank Williams Jr song spilled through the cab, making him grimace. He loved him some Hank. The devil-may-give-a-flying-shit attitude was one he related to and strive to embody.

Taking his left hand off the wheel, he rested his elbow against the open window frame and sang (a little off-key) with the song starting on the radio. His old truck jumped and dipped with the digs in the dirt road toward town. The sweet smell of summer tickled his nose as he made his way toward his job. He tried not to be annoyed that he was going to be stuck in the local hardware store for hours. It just didn't seem right or fair, but he had to help out his momma and... his pop. Wade dropped his head back against the head rest and zoned out. He didn't need to pay too much attention, he knew Bluebell like the back of his hand. Letting the music and the rocking of the truck relax him, he turned off his brain for the rest of the trip to work.

=x-X-x=

It wasn't what she was expecting...not that she was really expecting anything, really. She knew it wouldn't be like the hospital her dad...her step-dad?, she smothered the sad, frustrated sigh- worked at. Harley was in private practice. A completely different type of doctor. But she wasn't expecting this. Zoe opened the door and slid to the ground, her brown eyes taking in the building in front of her. A building that looked more like a house than an office of any sort. Her teeth pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and she worried the flesh of it, waiting. For what she wasn't sure.

Harley cleared his throat, the sound making her jump a little, he smiled apologetically and gestured toward the small iron gate at the foot of the walk away. She swallowed, moving with more confidence than she felt. The closer she got to the office the more her adrenalin started to pump through her veins. Licking her lips, she entered the small hallway and walked through the patients- patients that all stared quite openly at her- waiting toward the receptionist's desk. Zoe heard her fath-Harley chatting with each of the people he passed. The normal pleasantries erased by years of familiarity. She spun on her heels and watched. Harley's leaned down, resting on his heels to talk with a young child. The little girl's face was red and her bangs were damp from fever, she sniffled and hugged a stuffed elephant close to her chest as Harley spoke softly to her.

Zoe was instantly pulled into the scene. She watched every move and every gentle smile Harley gave to his young patient. She knew she shouldn't compare the two- because she knows that they are different in every way it appeared- but she couldn't help but noticed that her dad- the one she grew up with was never like that with anyone. Not even her. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, tears she quickly blinked away and hid.

Slowly Harley made his way to the desk and smiled brightly at his receptionist, "Emmeline, this is Zoe. My daugh- she'll be observing today." Emmeline looked at Zoe with steady eyes. She didn't seem to judge or react in a negative way, she just looked. For some reason that comforted Zoe. "Zoe this is Emmeline Hattenbarger. She's my right hand and often times my savior. I don't know what I'd do without her."

Emmeline rolled her eyes and laughed, "I think you'd do just fine." She turned her attention back to Zoe and extended her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you Zoe. Your dad has been a fluttering around here for a month talking about how excited he is having you here."

Embarrassment flooded her insides, but it wasn't uncomfortable and cold, it was warm and nice. She felt wanted. When was the last time she felt that way? Smiling easily, Zoe shook her hand, "It's nice to meet you too."

The moment was broken by the front door opening again. Zoe turned just in time to see a blonde teen walk confidently toward them. Her yellow hair was bouncing behind her in a long ponytail as she stopped in front of them. Her blue eyes glinted in the summer sun shining in through the window. She rose one eyebrow in a contemplative gesture. Zoe felt a bit like a frog being dissected.

Finally the blonde smiled at her, not quite friendly, but not completely coldly either and stuck out her hand, "You must be Zoe," her thick southern accent lengthened the words, "I'm Lemon Breeland,-" Wait really?, Zoe thought. "Our daddies are partners in this practice." Why did Zoe want to shiver at that? "I hope we can be friends."

Uh... Zoe shook her hand and smiled as easily as she could. "I hope that as well."

She didn't know if she was telling the truth or not, but she was pretty she Lemon would either be a great ally or a horrible foe.

Maybe it wasn't too late to beg her mom to send her to Europe.

=x-X-x=

Wade heard the bell above the door ring and leaned back from the aisle he was stocking with paint supplies to see who it was. A smile broke out when he saw the lanky form of George Tucker come toward him in a pair of blue board shorts and a white tank top. Easing up, he dusted of the dirt from his hands on his jeans. "What's up man?"

George grinned, shrugging slightly, "Nothing. Just waiting for Lemon. We're heading to the river later."

"What's Lemon up to?" Wade asked knowing how much the blonde liked to cause trouble.

"She insisted on meeting Dr. Wilkes daughter." His friend said with a tight smile. "She heard that the new girl was with her dad at the office, so our river plans got put on hold while she went to size up Zoe." George's smile eased a little and a tinkle settled in his eyes. "I heard you made quite an impression on her."

Wade laughed, "Where'd you hear that?"

"Ran into Levon on the way here."

"Ah," he ran a hand over the back of his neck, wiping the sweat from his skin. He knew this place had an air condition, but it never seemed to be working. Especially when it was summertime.

"So what is she like?" George asked while picking up various items, like paint brushes and stir sticks.

He opened his mouth to answer when the bell rung again and Lemon came stomping in, commanding attention. She settled in at George's side with a slight frown on her face. George turned toward his girlfriend and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her expression melted into a tiny smile. Wade could practically see the hearts in their eyes and it made him want to gag. Like really, throw up _EVERY WHERE_.

"Whatcha boys talking about," she asked, leaning her head on George's shoulder.

"The new girl," Wade answered, bending back down to put the rest of the paint brushes on the shelf. "George here was wondering what I thought of Miss Zoe Hart, princess of the yankee state."

"Hmm," Lemon said softly, "She's definitely not belle material."

"Is that necessarily a bad thing," George asked.

Wade bit back a grin at Lemon's horrified expression. No one in the city of Bluebell said a negative word about the beloved belles. It just wasn't allowed or even entertained.

"Is that a bad thing? George Tucker," she shook her head. "The belles are what make this town great." Her thick southern drawl turned that much thicker with each passionate word. "If one is not belle material, than that person is not of strong being. Being a belle is everything. It's mothers and daughters, it's community. It's tradition. Zoe Hart doesn't have that passion in her and that's definitely a bad thing."

"Baby," George started slowly, "How do you know that she doesn't have that passion inside her? You only just met her."

"I just know," Lemon said with a clipped voice that ended the conversation or would have if Wade wasn't standing there.

"Well," he grinned. "I can't say she isn't passionate. The two times I've met her, she's been mighty feisty."

"Oh please," Lemon dismissed. "You think anyone girl with enough sense to turn you down is 'mighty feisty'."

"I don't stay turned down for long," he responded cockily.

She smirked, "You might this time. One thing I did get from Zoe Hart was she is not interested in staying in this town. And that probably means she isn't going to be interested in a teenage cowboy Casanova wannabe."

"Care to make a bet on that," Wade asked, annoyed by her comment.

"I don't make bets I know are sure things," she replied in a bored tone.

"Or maybe little Lemonade is scared," he taunted.

"Okay guys," George started but was cut off by Lemon.

"Fine!" She thought for a second and then grinned. "I bet you that you can't get Zoe Hart to fall in love with you by the summer carnival. If I win you have to do a task of my choosing."

"And when I win," Wade questioned.

"_If_ you win, you get to make me do anything you want," Wade started grinning and opened his mouth to comment on that when she held up her hand, "Anything you want within reason. I still reserve the right to say no and punch you." She held out her hand and tilted her head to the side, "We got a deal?"

Wade slapped his hand to hers and shook. "Oh hell yes we do."

George looked pained as he glanced back and forth between them, "Oh this can only end badly..."

Wade shrugged, grinning all the while. Damn he loved summer.

=X-x-X=


	4. Fathers

**Title**: One Summer  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 3069  
><strong>Feedback<strong>: Please and thank you  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Not mine, never will be mine.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Zoe finds out Harley is her real dad when she's 15 and is sent to Bluebell to get to know him.  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Romance/AU  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Unbeta'd. Please forgive my mistakes

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thank you so much for the feedback. It means so much to me. I think I should really stress that this story is very much alternate universe. A lot of stuff I have planned will definitely take the characters into different directions. Especially Wade. I wasn't expecting the show to drive into his past so much in the first season. LOL. I hope you continue to like the story. Please let me know. I adore feedback and it means so much to me that you take the time to write them. Thanks so much again.

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 4: Fathers<em>**

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><p>The sun hung low in the sky, painting the horizon in shades of pinks and oranges as the last customer walked out of the store. He looked around him, gathering different items that needed to be put back on the shelves and the straightening the stuff that got moved throughout the day. He turned the radio on next to the register, letting the smooth sound of Conway Twitty fill the space. Old man Martin King shuffled to the song as he made his way toward the door. The elderly man smiled and sang, moving with more grace than men half his age. Wade laughed as he watched him, shaking his head and hitting the key on the register that opened the drawer. He gathered the credit card receipts from the bottom as well as the checks and carefully put them in the bank bag that was laying on the counter.<p>

"We did well today, Wade," his boss said jovially. "This was a good day."

"That it was, Mr. Martin," Wade agreed. He didn't acknowledged that Old man Martin thought every day was a good day. To him if he was on this side of the dirt, he was doing extremely well. It was a nice way to think. "How's Mrs. Martin doing?"

His boss laughed, full and rich, "Good, good." He pointed one finger at him. "She's been baking again. But won't let me have any of the sweet stuff. I keep telling her that's unfair, but she insists that all those cookies and brownies go to you." He laughed again. "She'll be bringing them by tomorrow. Don't tell her I told you about it though."

"Your secret's safe with me." Wade grabbed the phone as old man Martin flipped the sign to closed on door. "Martin's Hardware, this is Wade speaking."

"Wade," his mother's voice shook and his insides turned to ice.

"Momma?"

"Your daddy's gone," she said and he closed his eyes, knowing what _gone_ meant. "He's at the bar. Henry called to let me know. Can you go get him? Sam has got a little bit of a fever and Jesse's..."

He didn't need her to finish. Jesse was out doing honorable stuff- like fighting for his country. His big brother the war hero. His big brother that got the hell out of this town and left his family and all the Kinsella crap behind. Wade pushed the bitterness aside. "I'll get him momma."

"Thank you, darling," his mother's voice quivered just a little.

"Yeah," he whispered, then continued in a much stronger voice. "You're welcome."

He hung up the phone. Finished counting the register down and helped recover the store, then went in search of his daddy. Not that he had to really search all that hard. He knew exactly where he'd be. After all Bluebell only really had one bar.

=x-X-x=

Her hands were dry from the latex gloves, her hair had long ago been pulled into a haphazard bun thing at the back of her head (with pieces falling all around her face). Her back hurt slightly from bending over the tables and microscopes with Harley as he explained what to look for on the slides. Her cheeks hurt from smiling- and to her surprise most of those smiles she wore all day were real.

All and all, she had enjoyed every moment. Which, much like the fact that she'd actually had reason to smile, shocked her. The last patient walked out of the office with a small wave to Dr. Breeland (her dad's business partner- and yes in her own head she'd given up thinking of him as anything other than her dad- because she couldn't fight biology and frankly she was wicked tired) and another wave to Harley. The click of the front door shut caused her to sag in exhaustion. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall next to her. Even though she was tired, it was a good kinda tired. It was the type of tired she could -and would- get used to. It's the kind of tired that comes from being a doctor. This day reenforced her belief that this profession was her destiny. Opening her eyes back up she watched the staff finish up their daily duties.

Dr. Brick Breeland- a man she wasn't sure she liked and she wasn't sure liked her- scratched the back of his neck as he wrote notes on a clip board. His eyes were sharp, the kind of eyes that didn't miss much, as they looked from one set of notes to another. He snapped the lid of the metal clip board shut with a flick of his wrist and slid it into a pile on the left side of the reception desk. Brick's smile was tight as he nodded toward Harley and then to Emmeline before sliding his pen in the front right chest pocket of his lab coat.

"Have a good night, Harley, Emme," Brick turned to Zoe and she immediately straightened up against the wall. "Zoe it was nice to meet you."

Her good manners sprung forth and she smiled as genuinely as she could, "You too, Dr. Breeland. It was great watching you work."

Her comment took his off guard, she could tell from the slight lack of his jaw, but he recovered quick enough. "I hope you come back tomorrow," his southern accent made his words sound like honey dripping off a spoon. "There is so much to teach a young mind, especially one that wants to enter this field of study. That is what you want, right Miss Hart?"

"Definitely," she nodded. "I've always dreamed of career in medicine."

"Private practice like Harley? Or something more along the lines of what your father does?"

Her brown eyes shifted quickly toward Harley and she saw his face tighten just a hair at the '_your father_' part of Brick's question. She wondered if that was Brick's intention. Mentally she shook her head, she hoped it was an accident and really it wasn't like she had fully accepted the change her life had taken.

"I don't know," Zoe gnawed on her bottom lip. "I could see myself in both fields, but really I could end up in something else entirely. I still have a long time before that decision needs to be made."

"Very true," Brick nodded. He slapped his hands together and started backing up toward the front door. "Well I need to be getting home. Got to make sure Lemon and Magnolia have eaten a decent dinner."

"Drive carefully Brick," Harley said, smiling that gentle smile he has all day. He hung his lab coat on the coat rack next to his office door, "We should probably be heading out as well, Zoe. I'm sure you are mighty hungry."

She opened her mouth to act like she was completely fine when her stomach growled betraying her. Zoe slung an arm over her midsection and blushed as she looked up at Harley. "I could eat," she replied feeling the heat growing in her cheeks.

Harley nodded, amused. "Alright then, how about I take you to the Rammer Jammer for some good southern cooking."

Her eyebrow rose. She looked between the two other people left in the office, "What exactly is '_good southern cooking_'?"

"Mostly fried," Emmeline laughed at what she could only assume was a pretty disgusted expression on her face. "There are grilled things as well. The grilled shrimp is my personal favorite."

Now that sounded pretty good. Zoe grinned and moved closer to the desk. "That sounds good-" the rest of her statement was cut off by the front door opening again.

A young girl with long dark wavy hair, knobby knees- shown off by her cut off shorts- and round black rim glasses came flying in. She was thin, all angles- much like Zoe herself- and slightly geekish. Her lips split in a warm smile and her brown eyes sparkled. "You must be Zoe!"

The words came as a shock- not that she should be surprised that the young girl knew who she was- it seemed everyone knew who she was. Nodding, Zoe opened her mouth only to be stopped by the girl. "I'm Rose, Emmeline is my aunt. I'm so excited to meet you. I'm a big fan of New York and I'd love to hear all about it from you." She held out her hand. "Sex and the City is one of my favorite shows. I'm a Miranda, but I wish with all my heart I was a Carrie."

Zoe laughed softly. She liked this girl. "Well I'll be happy to tell you all about New York. And just FYI," she leaned in close, whispering sort of loudly to Rose. "I'm a Miranda too, but also wish I was a Carrie."

Rose grinned. Harley cleared his throat, making both girls jump. "Would you like to join Zoe and I for dinner at the Rammer Jammer, Rose? I'm sure your aunt won't mind."

The young girl turned pleading eyes to her aunt, "Please..."

Emmeline shook her head, an amused twinkle in her eye. "Alright. I don't see why not."

=x-X-x=

The jukebox in the corner of the bar was blaring some Charlie Daniels as he entered. His hands were folded into his pockets as he moved in and out of the tables and chairs. His objective was clear. He just hoped there wouldn't be a scene. Ducking his head a little, Wade took a seat on the stool next to his father. There was a glass of whiskey in his hand, hanging loosely from his grasp as Earl swayed back and forth to '_The Devil Went Down To Georgia_'. His voice was slurred, making the words come out a mumbled mess.

Wade took the glass from his dad's hand and set it on the worn wood bar. "Come on, dad," he said as calm as possible, even though his stomach was burning with anger and embarrassment. "It's time to go home."

His dad turned, unsteadily, on his stool using the edge of the bar to keep him from falling on the floor. "You gonna sing for me, son?" Heat filled his cheeks and he resolutely shook his head. He wasn't going to do this, not again. "Then I think I'll stay right where I am." He raised his hand, calling the bartender over. "Another whiskey, Henry. You know how I like it."

"Don't," Wade said to the man behind the bar. Henry nodded. "Dad- you've had enough. Come on. Momma's waiting for you. Sammy's sick. You need to come home."

"Sing for me, Wade," his father cupped his cheek. "Just one song."

Laughter caught his attention and he turned his head to look over his shoulder just in time to see Zoe, Dr. Wilkes and Rose come in. Zoe had a huge smile on her face as she talked animatedly with Rose. Harley guided both girls to a table in the middle of the restaurant. Wade smiled a little to himself, his bet with Lemon fresh in his mind.

"Bartender," his dad bellowed, causing everyone in the bar to look at them- including Zoe.

"Earl," Henry sighed, wiping the dish water off a glass, "you're cut off for the night."

Earl got up from his stool, stumbling. "Fine." He tripped over his own foot. "I'll just go." Wade started to stand, but his dad pushed him back in his seat. "After you do it."

Wade's eyes cut to Zoe, who was gnawing on her lip. Her brown eyes wide. She glanced at him then quickly looked away again. He focused on his father again and shook his head for the second time, "No," he hissed.

His father's drunken eyes clouded with hurt and he backed away from him. Earl bumped into a waitress, sending a pitcher of beer spilling to the floor. Muffled whispers filled the bar as he continued on his way out the door. Wade watched him, his heart in his throat and his anger filling his belly. He wiped a hand down his face, suddenly more tired than he had been in a while, threw some money- most of his paycheck- on the bar in the hopes that it would cover his father's tab and started toward the door after his dad.

He looked in Zoe's direction as he neared her table and noticed that she was looking down at the napkin laying in her lap. She must have felt his eyes on her because she glanced up as he passed. His smile was tight, but he tried. She blinked then smiled tightly back at him. Turning away again he pushed against the front door and inhaled the summer air. Walking down the steps, he started calling out for this dad.

=x-X-x=

Her phone buzzed in her purse and she excused herself to take the call when she saw it was from her New York home. Zoe grinned as she moved further away from the bar and into the heart of the dirt parking lot. "Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"_Zoe_," her mother greeted her and she felt her heart sink a little.

"Mom," she licked her lips quickly. "How are you?"

"_Good_," came the reply. "_How is Bluebell? Are you settling in?_"

"Yeah," Zoe leaned against the bumper of a rundown Ford truck. "It's alright. I miss New York. This place is so different from home. I miss you...and dad. I miss dad. A lot. Is he there? Can I speak with him?"

There was a noticeable pause. Silence that felt like a being hung there for what felt like hours. Her heart pounding in her chest the only sound that seemed to fill it. Not even the loud music from the bar could cover the emptiness.

Then her mother spoke again, "_He isn't here, Zoe._" Her heart sank further. "_He took a job in Germany. I'm sure he'll call you once he's landed. You know how he is_."

Zoe nodded even though her mother couldn't see it. Her voice was thick as she responded, "Yeah. I'm sure he will. Um, I gotta go. Good night mom."

"_Good night_," her mother said.

She closed her phone and kicked at the dirt with the toe of her sneaker. She fought hard against the tears that were burning her eyes. Zoe didn't want to cry. She didn't want to feel this hurt. She hated this! She kicked at the dirt again, this time hitting a rock and sending it into the woods off in the distance.

Voices cut through her self-pity like a knife. Raised voices. One drunk. One frustrated. She followed the sound until she came upon Wade and the man from the bar. Ducking behind a large SUV, Zoe watched them argue back and forth.

"Get in the truck," Wade said as he motioned to the red vehicle next to him.

"I can drive myself," the older man said, crossing his arms over his chest and nearly falling over as he did.

"Like hell you can," Wade ran a hand through his hair and let out a line of colorful curses. "Mom's waiting on us. Get in the truck."

"Your momma deserves better than me," the drunken man slurred.

"Something we both agree on." The teen turned toward where Zoe was hiding, his face a mix of pain and anger. She instantly felt for him. "Let's go. Alright. Let's just go home. I'll make you a good cup of strong coffee and you can start to sober up."

Earl, she thought that's what the bartender called him, nodded finally and started to climb into the truck. He lost his footing and knocked his head against the door before Wade could help him. Zoe jumped up from her hiding place, walking over when she saw the jagged line of red slowly making it's way down his forehead. Her stomach was in knots as she cleared her throat to make her presence known. Wade looked over at her and something flashed in his eyes.

Swallowing quickly, she pointed to Earl. "Do you need help? He's bleeding."

Wade reached into the cab of the truck and grabbed some paper napkins. He handed one to Earl and helped the older man into the vehicle, closing the metal door behind him. "He'll be fine. Thanks."

"Are you sure?" Zoe kept glancing between both Wade and Earl. "Head injuries can be serious and Harley's here. He could look at him."

"Princess," the nickname was said softly as he smiled tightly at her like he did in the bar. "He's fine. Just a scratch. No need to bother Dr. Wilkes with it."

"Come on son," his dad said a second before the door opened and the drunk man vomited onto the dirt parking lot.

Wade's mouth twitched downward as he looked at her again. "Go on princess. Enjoy your night. I can handle this."

She nodded, unsure if leaving them was really the smartest plan. Zoe watched as he carefully walked toward his father and helped him through the sickness. Their eyes locked through the window of the door and then she turned quickly, rushing back into the bar. As she made her way to the front door, Zoe forced herself not to turn back around.

And all she could think as she sat down next to her new friend, Rose and her – Harley, was that father's were making both Wade and her lives more difficult. And that as sucky as it was for Wade, it was nice to know she wasn't alone in that. Maybe there was more to him than she thought. Maybe he wasn't a complete jackass. Maybe he had a reason for the way he acted. Maybe she judged him too quickly. Maybe...

But...

...she still didn't like- no scratch that- _hated_ that he called her princess. _Again_. Damn him.


	5. One Summer Storm

**Title**: One Summer  
><strong>Author<strong>: Jailynn  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 2421  
><strong>Feedback<strong>: Please and thank you  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Unbeta'd. Please forgive my mistakes

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 5: One Summer Storm<em>**

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><p>The smell in the air changed. A sweet, wet scent filled his nose as he felt the wind pick up around him. Wade wiped the sweat from this brow as he looked up at the sky. A grimace fell onto his lips. His momma wanted the grass cut before the storm rolled in- really she wanted it cut before his golden brother came back from war for a couple of weeks break- but it didn't look like that was gonna happen. The large trees lining his family's little piece of property swayed back and forth. Not a good sign.<p>

Not a good sign at all.

He shook his head and pushed the lawnmower with more force. He was determined to get as much done as he could before his momma got home. She didn't need anymore stress. She didn't need anymore things to worry about. She had more than her fair share with his daddy heaven knew. From the corner of his eye he saw the front door swing open and a small ten year old come flying out. Wade jerked the mower into idle so that his baby brother wouldn't be attacked by the small blades of grass and shredded pieces of wood that was being spit out from the side of the device.

His brother rushed over to him. His messy blonde hair, the same color as all the Kinsella boys, was falling into his gray eyes. Wade knew a trip to the barber was in all their futures but especially Sammy's. His hair seemed to have miracle grow on it. He ran across the half cut grass barefoot and bare chested. The only clothing on his tiny body was a pair of jean shorts that Wade was almost certain were his at one time- which meant they were Jesse's before that.

Sammy grinned up at him, holding out a tall glass of lemonade. Wade accepted the drink, greedily gulping it down then he handed back the cup to his brother. "Momma's on her way."

Wade nodded, letting Sammy know he heard him. The youngest Kinsella grinned in that innocent, open way all kids do when it's summer and all seemed right with the world. He wiped his little hand against his brow, mopping up the sweat that was already gathering along his hair line from standing outside for the short time it took him to bring Wade the drink and tell him that their momma would be home in a little while.

The sky rumbled over their heads and both brothers looked up. Wade watched the heavy clouds build more and more ominously above them. Sammy met his eyes and grinned again. He loved storms. Wade shook his head, "Go inside." He pointed to the door. "I need to finish up and then I'll be heading in myself."

"Aw," his brother shuffled his feet. "But..."

"No buts," Wade said. His tone booking no argument. "You know momma doesn't like us being out in this kind of weather. We don't need to be sparking up after being struck by lightning like Old man Huntington." Sammy tilted his head. "Every time someone touches him now they get zapped by electricity," he paused and then Wade reached down to poke his bare stomach. "Zap!"

Sammy laughed, clutching his stomach and twisted away from his older brother's still poking finger. "Stop it! I'm gonna tell momma."

"You're gonna tell momma what?" Wade grinned at him.

"That you're poking me," Sammy pouted, although Wade could still see a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well if you don't want me poking you, get inside and let me finish the yard." Wade turned away from his brother and back to the lawnmower but not before he saw the tiny pink tongue pop out from between Sammy's lips. Wade playfully kicked at him, making his brother laugh and run toward the house just as the first fat raindrop fell from the sky and onto his head. Wade sighed knowing it wouldn't be long before the rest joined the first. A half a second later the sky opened up, letting loose a heavy shower. He pushed against the lawnmower, ducking his body into itself to stay as dry and warm as possible. An impossible feat he quickly learned. He was just gonna have to finish the rest in the rain. "Son of a bitch," he mumbled to himself.

X-x-X

Zoe sat at the window in her room watching the rain slide down the panel in slow winding lines. She hugged her knees to her chest willing the rest of her tears to cease. She was tired of crying. It felt like she'd been crying for days and maybe that wasn't completely wrong. The letter came in the mail 38 hours, 15 minutes and 39 seconds ago. Her dad, the man that she wanted to be like her entire life, the man that used to hold her up on his shoulders to watch the thanksgiving parade pass by their Manhattan apartment building, the man that fixed her sprain wrist when she twisted it playing football in the park at the age of ten, basically told her that he needed time away. Away from her, away from her mother.

He didn't want to be her dad anymore.

She touched the window, wanting nothing more than to bang her fist through the glass, because maybe the physical pain would help wipe away the seizing agony of her heart. What she did instead was trace the lines of water with her fingertip and cry just a little bit harder.

How could he cut off all his feelings for her? How could he just decide that he didn't love her? Why was he blaming her for something her mother did? It wasn't her fault her mom cheated! It wasn't Zoe that made him believe that he was her father when it wasn't true. It wasn't her. And she shouldn't lose him because of it! She hated her mom. She hated that Ethan Hart wasn't her real dad. Harley was nice, Zoe couldn't deny that, but he wasn't her dad... at least not in her heart.

The blood in her veins was a different story.

Suddenly the need to get out of the room was suffocating her to the point she felt like she would die if she didn't leave right then- even if it meant going into the woods again. She leapt up from her position and ran from the room. She didn't feel the stairs under her feet, she didn't remember pulling the front door open, all she could think was she needed to run away. Get away.

The rain pounded on her shoulders. The lightning cracked over her head. The thunder rumbled the ground. Had she been in a better state of mind she would have known how stupid this was. Because the only place to go was the woods, and for her the woods are not a good place. Did the last time she went in there she ran into trouble? And that was on a clear day. If she was in a better state of mind she would have thought it through. She wouldn't have run blindly away from shelter and into the storm that was looking more and more like something from one of those disaster movies. But she wasn't. The tears on her face mingled with the rain sliding down her cheeks as she ran.

A bolt of lightning broke through the sky, hitting a tall tree not to far from her. The sound echoed throughout the clearing she found herself in. Zoe screamed as a heavy branch fell in front of her, blocking her path to the forest. Her foot slid out from under her as she was turning to change directions in a mud puddle. A cannon ball of agony shot through her body, making her gasp out loud then scream even harder than before.

Stupid. She was so stupid! Zoe pounded her fists into the mud then tried to push herself up. The minute she was able to stand, her right leg gave out again and another wave of pain caused her to want to throw up. She really needed to stop heading into the woods by herself. Looking around her, she quickly realized her situation was about to get worse if she didn't move quickly. The rain got harder, if that was possible, and the ground was slanted toward where she was. Water was already beginning to pool around her.

As if that wasn't bad enough, she was starting to shake. A chill settling into her bones that wasn't getting any better. Zoe thought about screaming, but scratched that idea out. The rain and the thunder would drown her out. She envisioned getting a stick to use as a crutch, but that too was eliminated from her list because the closest one to her that could be a passable crutch was at least five feet away. Hope was ebbing from her heart as more and more lightning struck all around her.

Determined not to die without at least trying to live, Zoe drugged her body through the muck closer to the stick. Every bump against her right ankle sent a live wire of agony through her, making new tears spring to her eyes and sailor worthy curse words explode from her lips.

"Zoe," a voice, faint called out. She held her breath. Was it her imagination? She shook her head continuing to try and reach the stick. "Zoe!"

This time she knew she heard it. Her heart raced in her chest. "Here," she screamed, then thought, '_please hear me. Please be real._'

The trees to her left shook as a figure broke through them. Her eyes welled up again and she ducked her head so he wouldn't see the tears, not that he would have necessarily been able to tell that's what they were. Harley knelt in the ground beside her and wrapped her up in a giant bear hug. His warmth seeped into her as she shivered, and sobbed and buried her head into his shoulder.

"Oh thank God," he said softly into her ear. "Thank god you're alright. Come on baby, lets get out of this storm."

She shook her head, forcing herself to pull away from the warm embrace. "My ankle. I think it's twisted."

Harley looked down at her right leg and nodded. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward his house. Zoe wanted to be strong. She didn't want to appear weak, but right then she also wanted to be loved. She wanted her daddy. Harley looked down at her and cradled her more tightly to his chest. The walk back to the house was made in silence and in Zoe's case embarrassment. She shouldn't have run. Especially into the woods. And definitely not during a rain storm that looked like the one that was shown in the "Perfect Storm". She was stupid.

Zoe hated being stupid.

Harley pushed open the front door and sat her down on his couch. She should have protested, she was covered in mud, but then there was a blanket wrapped around her and a heater blowing hot air and she just didn't. Harley carefully removed her shoe, making her hiss and clench from the pain. Zoe looked down then winced. Her ankle was swollen and bruised.

He gently poked the injury, checking to see if it was broken. She wanted to say something, but honestly didn't know what she could say, so she kept her lips tightly closed.

"I don't think it's broken," he said after a moment. "We need to keep it up and I'll go get some ACE bandages to wrap it. I think I have some good pain killers too. I'll be right back."

Zoe nodded and he turned to get the supplies but before he could leave the room, she said very softly, "Thank you, Harley."

He pivoted around and gave her a sad smile. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but it's all her heart- battered and bruised like her ankle- was willing to give. At least right now.

X-x-X

Wade leaned against the railing and watched the rain fall into the puddles of their front yard. The storm had been raging for hours and didn't look like it was letting up any time soon. Sammy stood next to him, extending his little hand out, playing in the water.

"The river will be high tomorrow after this, right Wade?" Sammy asked, never taking his eyes off the stream falling into his palm.

"I reckon it should be," he answered already knowing where this was going.

"You have the day off from the hardware store tomorrow?" His brother asked innocently.

Wade wrestled with a smile, "Uh huh. Have two days off in a row in fact."

"Huh," the little boy tilted his hand to the side and swung it back and forth, sliding water everywhere. "You think you could take me to Jackson river? I bet the fish will be biting and I haven't been all summer."

"You make it sound like that's been months. We just started summer two weeks ago."

"I know," Sammy said in a whiny tone. "Matt's been four times already!" He crossed his arms over the railing and looked up at Wade seriously. "It ain't fair!"

Wade opened his mouth to respond when they heard a crash from inside the house followed by Earl yelling drunkenly to their mother. Wade's insides clenched as he heard another crash. His daddy wasn't a mean drunk, Thank God for that small blessing, but he was still a big jackass. Sammy moved closer to his brother as the yelling for another beer got louder. Wade wrapped an arm around his kid brother and turned him back toward the rain.

"I think a trip to the river would be a good idea," Wade said with a grin on his face he didn't feel like wearing. "Maybe I'll get Levon to come with us. I bet us Kinsella brothers can out fish him any day."

Sammy grinned, nodding his little head. "No doubt about it. We're unstoppable."

Looking at his brother, Wade felt his smile turn genuine and nodded back to him. "Hell yeah."

X-x-X

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><p><em>Author's Notes: I really struggled with this chapter. I'm not sure I even like it, but I needed to write this chapter this way to move forward. I really hope you like it. I really hope that even if you don't you'll stick with me, the next couple of chapters will be getting to the heart of the ZoeWade relationship as well as start to build the Zoe/Harley relationship. Thank you all for all the feedback you've graciously given me. Every single one means the world to me. :)_


	6. Look Deeper

_**Title: **_One Summer_**  
>Author: <strong>_Jailynn_**  
>Pairing: <strong>_Zoe/Wade  
><strong>Word Count: <strong>3376**  
>Feedback: <strong>_Please and thank you_

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 6: Look Deeper<em>**

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><p>X-x-X<p>

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><p>Lavon leaned against his truck with a red solo cup in his hand filled with warm beer as he watched the people around him. The black blazer next to his had the speakers placed in the back window and was currently playing the newest Usher song. Teens moved throughout the headlight beams, dancing, swimming, drinking and trying to find places that weren't so visible to do other things. He sighed, taking a sip from the cup and looking up at the stars. The tiny white specks shined brightly next to the half crescent moon. Sweat dripped from his forehead, down the back of his neck, gathering at the base of his spine. Even at night the heat was almost unbearable. He placed his cup on the tailgate and used the bottom of his shirt to wipe some of the salty wetness from his face.<p>

"You could just jump in and cool off," his on again, off again girlfriend, Rudy said in her sultry voice. Little goosebumps climbed up his spine and he had to force himself not to shiver. "Or maybe we could find a nice quiet place and you could remove more than just your shirt."

He turned to face her, his mouth going dry. She grinned at him, her brown eyes shining much like the stars up above. Her body was barely covered in a short green sundress that curled around her form like a second skin. Like it was made just for her. Ruby moved a tiny bit closer to him and Lavon suddenly couldn't remember if they were on this time or if their relationship was back in the off column.

He grabbed for his drink, hoping the liquid would make talking easier and give him a moment to think. Because thinking was also hard to do when she was looking so good in the summer moon light. Some liquor spilled over his hand and he chuckled nervously, purposefully looking away from her to drink from the plastic cup.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ruby duck her head and laugh. His heart nearly stopped in his chest. With an internal sigh he realized he didn't care if they were on or off right now because she looked so good and he still had feelings for her. He was like a puppet on a string when it came to her.

Lavon quickly swallowed the rest of the beer from his cup and placed it back on the tailgate. "You know Ruby," he smiled at her. "You are a not being very fair. I thought after prom you decided to take some time off."

"Hmm," she leaned a little closer to him. "I might have been a little too hasty in that decision. We did have a lot of fun that night." She ran her hand down his bicep. "_A lot_ of fun that night. Especially in the back of this," Ruby nodded to the truck they were leaning against, "truck."

His blood temperature jumped in his veins, making him sweat even more. "Ahem," he rubbed the back of his neck, "well...um..." He licked at his lips. "We-we-well, yeah. That night was definitely, um, uh, a lot," His voice broke embarrassingly, "of fun."

"Uh huh, and I think we should do it again," she let the word hang there, grabbing his hand and leading him off into the woods. He looked around him to see if anyone was watching them before following Ruby with a grin of his face.

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><p>X-x-X<p>

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><p>Zoe adjusted her body into a more comfortable position and pressed the play button on the remote. The flat screen in front of her turned black for a second then some movie previews started to play. She sighed looking down at her ankle wrapped tightly in an ACE bandage. She closed her eyes rolling her head against the couch cushion. The pain was nearly gone except for a dull throb that was more of an annoyance than anything.<p>

She huffed. The real hurt was no where near her ankle. She looked toward the dining room where Harley was working and felt her eyes well up. She didn't deserve how sweet he was to her. She's been nothing but a brat. Zoe knew that. She wasn't foolish. She knew it wasn't his fault that the man that she always believed was her dad ran away from her at the first opportunity. She shouldn't keep running from Harley. Especially into the woods. In fact she was never going into that place again.

Pulling her head from the cushion, she pushed against the pillows behind her, Zoe tried to think of something to say to him. Nothing came. Just as nothing has come to her for the past five days since the storm from hell. She looked away from him and back to the TV. Even with the noise from the device the house felt eerily quiet. The weight of all her unsaid apologies and all Harley's unheard words of support filled the home, making it hard to breathe sometimes.

The picture changed on the screen again and the opening scenes of _Bridget Jones's Diary_ began. She bit her bottom lip, reaching into the bowl of popcorn she popped. The first kernel seemed to crunch loudly in her mouth. She rolled her lips together, looking back at Harley, who paid her no mind.

Zoe swallowed quickly, licking the salt and butter off her lips. Her eyes shifted back to the movie and before she knew it she was lost in the world of Bridget Jones and her misadventures with the men in her life. Mindlessly she reached into the bowl, slowly devouring the popcorn. She laughed at some of the ridiculous situations that Bridget got into, held her breath when Bridget interacted with Mr. Darcy, grinned like a fool as true love won out and the two characters kissed passionately in the falling snow. A small sigh escaped her mouth when the credit began to roll.

Swinging her legs over the side of the couch, she looked at all the BluRay and DVD movies she had on the coffee table in front of her. Her fingers grazed over the titles, pursing her lips to the side, trying to decide what movie to put in next. She picked up _He's Just Not That Into Yo_u as some lights brightened the darkened room.

Turning toward the window behind her, Zoe pushed the curtains aside to see who was there. Her stomach jerked uncomfortably as she noticed a tall teen boy climb out of an old beat up truck. She looked down at her clothes, silently cursing herself. Her old green sweat pants were faded and had some splashes of bleach stains on them from when she tried to do her own laundry. (She has since learned to only use bleach when absolutely necessary and to make sure no colored clothes were in the wash.) Her_ New York Giants_ t-shirt was two sizes too large and had a hole near the collar. All and all, not a cute outfit by any stretch of the imagination.

Harley walked into the living room, carrying a brown bag. "Zoe, I forgot to tell you," he rubbed his hand over his eyes, exhaustion written clearly across his face. "That Wade Kinsella was going to be stopping by on his way home from work to pick up some medicine for his brother. Oh and I forgot the instructions..." Knocking sounded from the front door and they both looked at it. "Would you mind answering the door for me?"

She opened her mouth, of course she would mind. She looked like a complete slob...not that she cared what that jerk thought about how she looked or anything. Shutting her mouth with a click, she smiled tightly and nodded. "Sure. No problem."

He smiled gently at her then turned back to the dining room to get the paper work he needed. Zoe took a deep breath, straightening her spine and limped to the door. Her throat went dry as she pulled at the knob on the door, opening it up to the teen.

Wade was leaning against the doorframe, his head tilted to the side as he grinned at her. Against her will, her heart jumped at the sight- which obviously meant she had some kind of latent heart condition. Because thats the only sane reason it would react in that fashion. Zoe was sure.

"Well," his thick country accent made the word slide out of his mouth like honey slid off a spoon, "if it isn't the New York Princess? How are you doing, your highness?"

Zoe frowned. "I would be better if you were anywhere but here." Her voice was clipped and cold which only made the teen in front of her grin harder.

"Now," he leaned in a little closer to her. "I'm sure you don't mean that. I think you actually like being this close to me. In fact I bet you dream of being even closer."

She angled her body toward the end of the couch to ease some of the weight from her hurt ankle and smiled sweetly at him. "You know," she tapped her chin. "You're right. I have dreamed of getting real close to you so I can wrap my hands..." her smile dropped off her face completely, "around your throat."

Wade chuckled, stepping back from the door. "Well played Princess." The compliment did not make her want to blush. He glanced down at her, making her feel even shorter than she normally did, and picked at her shirt. "Nice shirt."

"Thanks," she let the word drag out, waiting for the insult she was sure that was going to come next. Wade opened his mouth again, but was stopped by the arrival of Harley.

"Sorry for the wait," her father said, handing the bag over to Wade.

"It's no problem Doctor. Wilkes," Wade glanced back at her. "I didn't mind waiting at all. Your daughter is a joy to be around." Zoe glared at him and he grinned widely at her.

"You got plans tonight, young man?"

"Uh, yeah," she was amused to see red creep up his neck as Wade responded to Harley. "A lot of us are going to creek, actually most are probably already there."

Zoe leaned completely on the couch as she watched Wade squirm a little at the intense stare Harley was giving him. She rolled her lips together to stop the grin from spread across her face. A laugh tickled her throat as Wade shifted from foot to foot.

"I have faith," Harley said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That you'll be responsible enough to not drink tonight. Being that you're underage and most likely driving. You are smarter than that, right Wade?"

She licked her lips and tilted her head to the side and watched Wade flush even more. She knew she shouldn't take pleasure in watching him falter under her father's questions, but after all the princess comments she couldn't help it. Wade looked at her, silently asking for help. She sighed, all good things had to come to an end. She always did have a soft spot of wounded mutts.

"I'm sure he'll be careful." Zoe said the words but she didn't believe them. Careful didn't seem to be Wade's style... from what she could tell anyway. His style seemed to be _devil may care, but I don't_. Wade's blue eyes held her brown ones for a moment, gratitude clearly written in them. She glanced away, uncomfortable.

"If you believe that," Harley said, "why don't you go with him?"

Zoe's head snapped around,_ Holy backfire Batman_! "What? No he wouldn't like that."

"Sure," Wade spoke at the same time, "I would love to take her."

She shut her mouth with a snap and stared openingly at Wade. _Holy crap on a cracker! Did he just say_-?

"Great!" Harley exclaimed.

Wade looked at her, "I'll be back to pick you up in an hour."

"Um, uh," she stuttered as Wade turned around to walk back to his truck. She glanced at Harley, who had a suspiciously large smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes and gasped. "Did you plan that?"

Harley shrugged, walking back toward the dining room. "You need to go out Zoe. You need to have some fun." He looked over his shoulder at her, "Maybe Wade can help you do that. I don't want to see you spend all your time in this house. The summer is too long to spend it like that. Besides you might meet someone to hang out with at this party."

"I hang out," she huffed, closing the door and walking toward the stairs. "I hang out with Rose."

"Yeah, you do, but I would like to believe that there is room in your life for more than one Bluebell teen," he said with another gentle smile.

Zoe sighed. She couldn't stay mad at him when he acted like that. Darn it! Now she needed to get ready for a party and she had no idea what to wear.

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

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><p>Wade opened the door to his home and immediately went toward his brother's room. Sammy was curled on his side, his tiny cheeks flushed with fever. He coughed loudly into his small fist. His momma wiped a wet cloth over his face, singing softly to Sammy as he whimpered.<p>

Walking further into the room, Wade sat at the foot of his brother's bed and listened to the sweet sound of his momma's voice. She turned to look at him, her blue eyes tired but bright. She held out her hand and he placed the bag of medicine in it. She smiled at him, then opened the bag, pulling out the bottle of antibiotic.

"Thank you for stopping by Doc Wilkes' place, Wade," Sarah said. "I didn't want to leave Sammy. This is his second fever this summer."

"I know momma," Wade said quietly. "It's not a big deal. Doc was real nice."

There was a pause- thick with shame. "How much was the medicine?"

Wade opened his mouth and then quickly shut it again. It never occurred to him that he should have paid for the antibiotic. At least it didn't cross his mind while he was there, he thought about the price a lot when he was driving to the doctor's house, but... Wade licked his lips and shrugged.

"He didn't ask for any money." His momma's eyes shifted to the side. "But I'm taking Zoe to the party by the creek tonight. I'll pay for it when I pick her up."

"Take some money from my purse," Sarah said as she shook the bottle to mix the medicine's components together. "There's a twenty and I think a ten in the zipper pocket in the back. Hopefully that will be enough."

Wade slid off the bed and hugged her. "You worry about gettin' Sammy well, momma. I'll worry about the money."

She leaned her cheek against the crown of his head. "You're a good boy, Wade." She turned her cheek and kissed his hair. "I love you."

"I love you too," he responded softly.

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><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p>Zoe waited nervously for Wade to return. Her eyes strayed toward the clock more times than she wanted to admit. She gnawed the cherry chapstick from her lips so she wouldn't bite at her nails that she hastily painted pink. She kept telling herself that she didn't care what Wade thought of her and that she didn't give a crud if he liked her outfit- a red tank top and a pair of her favorite white shorts- but even she knew that wasn't true.<p>

Against her will, she did care. And she did want him to think she looked cute. And that made her want to scream. Instead she looked at the clock again.

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p>Wade pulled out his wallet, counting the cash in it. Fifty-three dollars. He looked out the front window of his truck and prayed that that would be enough. He knew that Doc Wilkes has always been kind to his family- kind in a way that never made them feel like a charity case- which Wade appreciated, but he also knew that medicine wasn't free. He sighed, swallowing back his nerves and climbed out of the truck.<p>

The short walk up to the front door seemed like an eternity. Wade's palms were sweaty and his heart was racing. He rubbed his hands roughly against his jeans and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

It didn't take long for it to open up and for Harley's smiling face to be revealed. Wade let a tight smile grace his own features as he shifted from foot to foot. "Wade," Harley said in a cheerful voice, "come in."

"Thank you, Doc." He ducked his head and stepped over the threshold. "Um, I, uh, I actually have something to ask you."

"Alright," Harley crossed his arms over his chest. "What is it?"

"Earlier," he licked his dry lips. "When I got the medicine for Sammy..." He stopped, not sure of how to continue. He hated talking about money and he especially hated talking about money with people that had some much more of it than he did. It was kinda amazing that George and Lemon were his best friends considering how well off their families were.

"Yes, I remember," the older doctor said patiently.

"You didn't ask for- I mean, how much do we- what was the price-" Harley held up a hand and smiled at him again. Wade stopped trying to ask the question. He knew he was bright red.

"It is on the house," Wade opened his mouth again. "Wait, that isn't right." Relief and fear flooded through him. "It isn't completely on the house. I do want something."

"How much?"

"Young man," Harley laughed. "I said something. I need some work done around the house. Painting really. The outside hasn't been done in years and frankly it's getting harder for me to climb the ladder to do the job the way it needs to be done." The older man's eyes met his. "That's my price. So I guess in a sense it is on the house."

Wade felt the fear leave him. He relaxed and nodded. "No problem."

"Good," Harley slapped him on the shoulder. "Now I wonder what's taking Zoe so long, let me just go get her."

"I'm here," Wade looked up at the top of the stairs and his heart started racing again. "I'm ready."

Looking at her come toward him, he wondered if he could say the same.

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p>"Nope," she sighed into his ear as he moved his hand down her side, brushing her breast. George sat back breathing heavily as Lemon adjusted the strap of her dress, slanting her baby blue eyes at him. "I really don't wanna give all these people a show George." She said with a sly smile. "But if you wanna continue later...when we're alone..."<p>

George's lips split into a megawatt grin. "Ms. Breeland, don't make promises you won't keep."

She leaned closer to him and pressed her lips to his ear, adapting her best seductress voice, "Would I do that to you?" Her left hand moved down his chest to rest just above his khaki shorts, which at the moment were uncomfortably tight. "Come on. Let's go join the others." She wiped some of the grass from the back of her legs. "Maybe Wade's here."

George looked over to where all the other teens were and grinned as he spotted his best friend in the crowd with none other than Zoe Hart at his side. "Uh, yeah," he said with a laugh. "He is and it looks like he brought a date."

"Oh goodness," Lemon huffed. "I hope it isn't that Heather again."

George shook his head, "no it's not Heather." He nodded his head in the direction of their friend. "It's Zoe Hart." Lemon's mouth dropped. Both watched as Zoe grabbed onto Wade's arm as they moved through the crowd of drunk teens. "You might lose that bet, honey."

Lemon frowned, "Crap."

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN**:_ I hope it was worth the wait. I had a rough couple of months. Starting with my computer crashing. I lost everything, including this story. I'm so sorry about the delay. All the reviews have meant the world to me. Thank you for taking the time to write them. Seeing them always brings a smile to my face. You all rock._


	7. One Step Forward

**Title: ****_One Summer_****  
>Word Count: <strong>2703**  
>Feedback: <strong>Please and thank you**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Not mine, never will be mine.**  
>Summary: <strong>Zoe finds out Harley is her real dad when she's 15 and is sent to Bluebell to get to know him.**  
>Genre: <strong>Romance/AU**  
>Warnings: <strong>Unbeta'd. Please forgive my mistakes

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 7: One Step Forward<strong>_

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p>Wade took Zoe by the hand and eased her through the crowd of people. Her tiny fingers curled around his, gripping tightly as teens knocked into both of them. He urged her closer to his back as they moved toward where everyone was dancing. The music filled the air and the bass vibrated the ground- inviting all sorts of things to happen.<p>

Girls, some he knew, some he didn't, giggled over the rims of their cups at him. He waved slightly to them, not wanting to be rude, then turned around to face Zoe. She stopped at once, her eyes wide as she took in everything around her. Without her knowledge, she tightened her grip on his hand, moving a little closer to him.

Over the smells of sweat and summer, he could make out her perfume. It was light like a whisper of a fragrance. It tickled the back of his mind as he tried to make it out. He lowered his head to take in more- was it roses? Lavender? It had to be some kinda flower. Wade knew that much. It was intoxicating. It was haunting. It was frustrating.

She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Brown on blue. Light meeting dark. She licked her lips and he mimicked the action. The moment suspended all around them. All the sounds that seemed so loud before muted into nothing. A strand of hair fell from her ponytail, curling across her cheek, he pushed it back, brushing his fingertips along her skin. Her mouth opened slightly, her right hand came up to rest on his chest, stopping where his heart was currently beating out of control.

Wade counted the seconds in his head. Thinking only of tasting her sweet mouth when, "Ooph," Zoe fell into his arms, knocked from behind by some clumsy guy. They both looked over her shoulder to see who it was. Wade couldn't say he was surprised to see Tom Long stumbling and straining to stay upright.

"Oh, oh, oh," Tom touched Zoe's shoulder, his eyes glazing over and his words slurring a little. "I'm sorry. I'm...I didn't mean-" he licked his lips. "I didn't mean to interrupt- Oh hey Wade!"

"Tom," Wade responded through clenched teeth. "You, uh, you alright there? How many beers have you had?"

Tom looked down at his hands and squinted his eyes, thinking hard as he counted on his fingers. "One-" he stopped. "I think just the one. Wanda handed it to me." The younger teen grinned a bit goofily. "She's really pretty. I think she likes me-" he forehead wrinkled up and he looked around them. "Have you seen her?"

"Nope," Wade shook his head. "Can't say I have. Why don't you go look for her? Okay?"

Tom nodded his head once then stopped. His haze filled eyes brightened a moment and he grinned at Zoe. "Hey, you're Doc Wilkes' daughter aren't you?" He snapped his fingers together, searching for something, "It starts with a Z..."

"Zoe," she answered, laughter lighting her voice.

"Yeah!" Tom clapped his hands. "Zoe." He thrust out his hand and took hers when she offered it. "My name's Tom. Tom Long."

"Nice to meet you, Tom," she replied sincerely.

"Hey, Tom," Wade drew the other man's attention from his date, anxious to see where that moment was going to go between Zoe and himself. "Why don't you go find Wanda?"

Tom nodded quickly then held a hand to his head as he rocked back. "Okay. I'm gonna go find her." He grinned at them again. "She's really pretty dontcha think?" With that he walked off, bumping into other people on his way.

"Are you sure we shouldn't follow him?" she asked turning around to face him, "In his state- oh..." her eyes widened once she realized how close they were. "Um," she took a step back, adding distance between them. Wade sighed internally, knowing that the moment was officially broken. "Uh, he, um, he could hurt himself. I think we should follow him."

"I think he'll be fine." Wade nodded his head in the direction younger teen had gone just as he reappeared, walking back with his arm around a short redhead that was giggling at Tom's comments. "See, princess, he's fine. And he found Wanda."

Zoe smiled softly. "They look cute together."

"Aw, princess, you _are_ a softie," she groaned and pushed against his chest hard. "Ow," Wade laughed. "Now, your highness, if you wanna get rough I can think of better places to do it." He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "the more private the place, the better."

Her mouth dropped open, then twisted in disgust. Those pretty brown eyes lighting up. "You're deluded if you think I'm going to do anything with you in private. That will never happen."

He winked at her, enjoying the fire in her and wondering how far he could push it. "Never say never princess."

She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else.

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p>Wade kept an eye on Zoe as he moved toward the keg in the middle of the party. He didn't want to leave her, but Tansy and her friends were very insistent that he go with them. He smiled thinking about his ex. They weren't together long. They weren't really good together, but she would always have a special place in his heart. He just hoped with the way she was drinking she didn't get into trouble. Tansy had a way of finding trouble. Even when she wasn't looking for it.<p>

"How did you get her to go on a date with you?"

"Evening to you too, Lemon," Wade said with a smirk as he poured some beer into his cup. The foamy white top sloshed over his hand. He sucked some of the bitter liquor from his skin before shaking the rest off.

"Don't be cute," she snapped, exasperation clearly seen on her face. "It doesn't suit you. Now answer! How in the world did you do it? I thought she had the good sense to hate you."

He laughed, "Now how could anyone hate this?" He motioned to his face, adapting a sweet expression. Lemon groaned. "Why do you wanna know anyway? You gettin' worried about our bet, Lemon pop?"

"Nope," she grinned. "I know that she's a yankee with bad fashion sense but I have faith that she'll show some intelligence and resist you. Like all sane women should."

"So really how did you do it?" George asked from behind Lemon. His disbelief written in his eyes as well. "I mean so quickly. You were just telling me that she wasn't very...receptive to your...um...charms?" George looked to Lemon for a second, motioning for her to help. "Is that the word you'd use?"

"No," she shook her head, her long blonde braid falling across her bare shoulder. "I definitely don't think that Wade and the word charm go together at all." She tapped the side of her chin for a moment, a wicked smile curling the edges of her lips. "Maybe the word should be manipulations."

"Hey, now," Wade rose up to his full height at their teasing. "I've never manipulated any girl into going on a date with me or into doing anything while on that date." He winked at Lemon, "Chicks just love me."

"Ugh," she groaned, pushing against his chest like Zoe had, only he knew that Lemon was doing it playfully. "You are so conceited."

"You say conceited, I say confident." He took a sip of his beer.

"You still didn't answer our question though," George reminded him. "How did you convince Zoe Hart to go on a date with you?"

"I didn't have to convince her," Wade shrugged. "Doc Wilkes suggested it."

"Oh sweet baby Jesus!" Lemon shook her head, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "How in the hellfire did you get that smart man to back you?"

Wade laughed as he walked off in search of Zoe. He found her sitting on a rock, with her head tipped to the sky. The moonlight caressed her skin, making her look like a mythical creature. His breath caught in his chest, his heart stopped and he had to look away to get a hold of himself. He shook his head, confused by his own thoughts. _Did he really just think of her as a mythical creature? Some angel sent from the heavens? Really? What the hell did they put in this beer?_

Once he felt like he was himself again he continued toward her. Wade cleared his throat, she didn't move. He tried again. Nothing. "Hey princess, you in there?" One second. Nothing but crickets. "Do you want a beer?"

No response. No movement. Her brown eyes were far away. With a sigh, he dropped down beside her. And that got her attention.

* * *

><p>X-x-X<p>

* * *

><p>Zoe eased herself down on a flat rock by the water's edge, watching the other teens dance and laugh all around her. She traced the bumps and curves of the stone as the feeling of being alone washed over. She tried not to search the crowd too hard for Wade. She didn't want to seem desperate for his company, but he was the only person she sorta knew in this town and he had abandoned her a while ago. Well that wasn't fair, he hadn't so much abandoned her as was pulled, quite forcefully, away by a horde of giggling drunk girls.<p>

He could have resisted harder than he did, in her humble opinion. He was the one that drag her to this party in the middle of nowhere. He could have at least stayed close.

Tipping her head up toward the sky, she watched the stars, searching out the constellations she knew, which she had to admit weren't many. Zoe got lost in her thoughts, drowning out the sounds around her when she felt someone drop beside her. She jumped knocking her injured ankle into the side of the rock as she did.

"Son of a," she bit her lip hard to stop the cuss word. Looking over she sighed, in relief or annoyance she couldn't tell, maybe because it was a little of both, at the person beside her. "You couldn't give me some warning before sneaking up on me?"

Wade smirked, "Like saying, hey princess you in there?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Something like that..."

"Well, honey, I hate to break it to you," he leaned back against the flat rock they were both sitting on. She tried, really she did, to ignore the way his white t-shirt pulled across his chest. Her cheeks heated up when she realized she couldn't _stop_ noticing. "But I did just that. Even asked if you wanted a beer."

"I don't drink beer," Zoe said pulling her eyes away from him at last and back to the sky.

"You haven't even tried it have you?" Their eyes met again. She was frustrated to see a know- it- all smirk on his face. "Bet you're a goodie- goodie. The perfect little girl. Everyone's angel."

"You don't know me at all." She whispered, hurt by his assumptions. "I'm not an angel. I'm not a goodie- goodie. And I have drank before." Zoe frowned, feeling a bit ridiculous at needing to prove him wrong or whatever she was doing. Maybe she just didn't want him to see her as an innocent little brat, which she couldn't explain, even to herself, why that thought bothered her so much. "And trust me when I say I'm far from perfect." Her chin dropped to her chest and she picked at a string that was hanging from the hem of her shorts. "Just ask my dad."

She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She hadn't meant to say anything at all, but his words cut. Deeper than she'd like to admit.

Wade sat up, resting the red cup he had with him on the rock next to him, "Your dad thinks you hung the moon and placed the stars in the sky."

"You don't know my dad..." she stopped her words suddenly, rolling her lips together when she realized who he meant. "Oh, you meant Harley."

"Uh huh, Harley," his baby blue eyes left hers. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have him."

"Oh, yeah," she eased off the rock and walked a couple steps away from him. "I'm so lucky. My mom cheated on my dad with...my..." she waved her hand in frustration, "with another man. And now I'm stuck here. I'm stuck in a place I don't know with a man I don't know." Her hands balled into fists at her sides and her eyes burned with unwanted tears. "You have no idea what it's like to be me. You know who you are. Your life is yours. It hasn't changed."

"Are you really that much of a cry baby whiner?" Wade glared at her for a moment. His cobalt eyes flashing in annoyance. She felt it all the way to her toes. Heat rolled off of him. "You think just because I know who my daddy is and that's never changed all is right with the world? Really? Did you forget about that night at the Rammer Jammer when you got to see my daddy in all his _drunken glory_? Lord, princess, if you really don't know that you won the lottery by getting Doc Wilkes as a dad, then you really don't deserve him."

Silence grew between them. Her hands hurt from clenching them so tight. Her eyes were still burning. And her cheeks felt like they were on fire from embarrassment. She really was a brat, wasn't she? Zoe felt waves of shame wash over her.

"I know," her words are soft and broken. Her throat felt raw from all the pent up emotions that were coursing through her. She licked her lips and started again. "I know that Harley is a good man. I know that he wants me and thats more than I can say for the guy I called my dad for most of my life, but..." she stopped, turning away from him. "I'm so angry."

Zoe heard the leaves crunch under Wade's feet as he moved closer to her. She wrapped her arms around her midsection, feeling cold even in the unbearable heat of summer. His body heat seeped into her back, his breath puffed against her hair. She had to fight the shiver that started to climb up her spine. _What was happening?_

"Listen," he whispered to her. "Being angry is normal and I don't think anyone would blame you for feeling that, but don't dwell on it. It's a worthless emotion."

She turned to face him, acutely aware of how close they were. She tilted her head up, meeting his eyes. "Are you ever angry?" Zoe licked at her lips, biting on the bottom one. "I mean about your dad. Do you ever..."

He nodded. "Yeah. I get angry a lot, but..."

"But," she prompted, anxious to hear his response.

"But it's not going to change anything." Wade rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from her again. "My dad's nickname in town is Crazy Earl. He's the town drunk. No matter how much that pisses me off, it's not gonna change. Because he doesn't wanna change." He touched her face, gently then removed his hand. "The man that you called dad," he shook his head. "I don't know him, but if he could just walk away from you because of what your mama did, then that doesn't seem like a man worthy being called dad."

Zoe opened her mouth, wanting to disagree, wanting to defend him, but finding no words. She felt the tears cloud her vision again and she bent her head so he wouldn't see them. Being vulnerable was hard for her. Being vulnerable with Wade Kinsella was absolutely insane.

She took a step back, before something bad- _would it be bad?_ She couldn't tell anymore.- could happen. Plastering a smile on her face, she tilted her head, "I think I will take that beer after all."

X-x-X

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><p><strong><em>AN_**: Thank you all for the follows, faves, and reviews. All the support is amazing and I'm so grateful for it. I really hope you like this chapter. Thanks again!


	8. Three Kinds of Pain

**Title: **One Summer

**Pairing: **Zoe/Wade**  
><strong>**Word Count**: 2527**  
><strong>**Feedback**: Please and thank you**  
><strong>**Disclaimer: **Not mine, never will be mine.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 8: Three Kinds of Pain<strong>_

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><p>The barest of light seeped through the covers and then...<p>

Pain.

Unbearable, unbelievable pain filled her head. Some evil, sadistic jerk decided to pour hot lava into her brain then just for kicks added a drummer to make sure the effect caused the most agony. Zoe tried to think of a way to stop the pounding but quickly realized thinking only made the fiery slosh pit worse.

_Ugh_.

_Someone please turn off the sun_. She rolled over to bury her head into the pillow, to block some of the blinding light. Big mistake. _Horrible, terrible, what the hell were you thinking_ mistake.

Her stomach clenched, turning, spinning around and around like a top she used to have when she was three. Colors swam before her eyes, melting and mixing, blending and separating. Her hand shot to her mouth. No, no, no, no, no, please, God, no, please. She couldn't get up and face the death star. But if she didn't...

Forcing herself, really,_ really_ forcing herself, she moved at the fastest pace she could, which was about as fast as a snail would. Every muscle revolted against leaving the cocoon of her bedsheets. Her eyes slammed shut, holding the burning ball of hell fire and the nausea at bay...as best she could. Her right hand breached the open space around her bed first. She left it there as if testing the strength of the sun before venturing any further. In reality her energy supply just ground to a halt. One would never accuse Zoe of being exceedingly active, but this was bad even by her standards.

Another wave of sickness, rising and crashing into her poor quivering stomach, spurred her on. Making her push through the barriers a little quicker. Another hand. Arms, the top of her head. The sun touched her hair...

God the death ball made even her hair hurt. She was _never, ever, ever, ever, ever_ going to drink again. No red solo cups will ever touch her lips again if they had any type of liquor in them. Why would anyone actively do this to themselves? This is what people consider fun? How?!

_Oh sweet Moses, stop thinking Zoe! You are only making the pain worse_!

Somehow, she didn't really know how, she managed to crawl, _slowly- oh so very slowly_, toward her bathroom- thank God for that tiny private bathroom, bumping into stuff she should really have picked up on the way. Her palms touched the cool linoleum and she sighed- or she would have sighed if she felt safe enough to open her mouth even a little. It felt so nice. Chilly, welcoming and nowhere near the sun's diabolical rays.

She lifted the lid of the toilet, holding her breath as she did, because if the beer wasn't going to make her vomit, the smell of the water sitting in the bowl would. Her forehead rested on the porcelain rim and she prayed. _Please God! Make the spinning stop!_

That's where she spent the next few hours. Praying for forgiveness. Praying for death. Promising her first born child and everything else she owned or would own in the future. She also cursed. She cursed Wade. It was his fault she was at that party and his fault she drank... she was so gonna make him pay.

X-x-X

Lavon pushed up from the ground, sweat dripping off his forehead. He counted quietly in his head, careful to make each push up count. He breathed deeply between each up and down motion. The muscles in his arms started to burn. Sweet pain. Good pain. Pain that will get him out of Bluebell. Not that he didn't dearly love his home. He did. More than most people that start off in this small of a town, but he still wanted to see the world... or at least Tuscaloosa.

Once he hit the two hundred mark- fifty better than last week- he slowly climbed to his feet. He inhaled the sweet, mid-morning air. It wouldn't be too much longer before the real heat set in. He wanted to get his run in now before the weather became almost too unbearable to stand. Lavon did some quick stretches, bending from side to side, touching his toes, lunging forward, working his legs.

He grabbed his water bottle and started jogging. The deep woods behind his house was the place he most enjoyed running. The shade of the trees kept the blazing summer sun from cooking him whole, the up and down terrain made his whole body work and the sounds of the animals all around him kept him focused. The steady beating of his shoes on the leaves and twigs were blocked out by his single-mindedness. He calculated how far he needed to go to reach his goal of eight miles.

The stream was one and half miles from his house, the trail toward Doc Wilkes home was about three and a quarter miles... He could go the long way to Wade's. That was a little more than four miles. If he ran that way first and then came around through town square that would get him his goal, plus some. With a plan in mind he reached into his pocket, fumbling with his old MP3 player, hitting the play button with his thumb. Placing the ear buds in his ears, he listened to the driving beats of his favorite hip-hop songs. Lavon needed that to help him keep a rhythm. Without realizing it, his feet pounded out the same bass and drum beats as the songs.

Two miles in he felt the first dull throb in his legs. It was something he was used to. Some people took it as a sign to slow up or turn back, but not Lavon. He loved it. The heaviness made him want to push harder. It made him want the prize, a scholarship to the University of Alabama, that much more. Because he worked for it. He earned it. He wanted it more.

His sneakers splashed through the small creek that fed into the river further down. Cold water hit his calves and slid back down into his socks. Sweat started running down his dark face more and more heavily as the sun rose higher in the sky. The mid-morning coolness, what little there was of it, was being forced aside by the afternoon heat.

The clearing that led toward Wade's family property came into view before he knew it. He pulled the earphones out of his ear as he neared the back of the old house and heard Sam laughing. Lavon grinned. He didn't have any siblings, not for lack of trying on his parent's part, he shuddered, he had the unfortunate experience of walking in on them once, it scarred him- deeply, but always thought of Sammy as his little brother. The kid was Wade's shadow. If he could, he followed his big brother everywhere. Wade grumbled. Complained that he wished he didn't always have a tag along, but Lavon knew how he really felt.

Underneath it all, Wade would do anything for his brother- both of them. Even if at the moment he wasn't too fond of Jesse. Lavon knew Wade felt like his older brother abandoned them. He took the first bus out of town and really hasn't been back since. Sure he popped in every once and a while, but he never stayed long and even when he was in Bluebell Jesse didn't really spend all that much time with his family. He used the time between military responsibilities to visit friends and bounce between bars.

Jesse was a good guy. No one denied that. Wade just wished he was more of a help when it counted. And Lavon understood that better than most that knew the Kinsellas. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sammy running toward him. He slowed his pace to make it easier for the boy to catch up.

"Hi, Lavon!" he exclaimed breathlessly.

"Hey, little man," Lavon answered careful to never break stride.

"You getting ready for football season?"

"Yup," he nodded. "Coach has been pushin' extra hard this summer."

Sammy grinned up at him, "That's because he wants a perfect season." The young boy turned his head to cough. What started out as a gentle cough turned much more extreme. His tiny hand covered his mouth and he stopped running. Lavon jogged closer to him.

"You okay, Sammy?"

He nodded his little blonde head before another round of coughs broke through, "been" cough, "sick." The words weren't spoken as much as gasped.

All thought of running and breaking his six mile record left his mind and Lavon bent down so that he was more level with Sammy, "Where's your momma?"

"Work," Sam strained to respond.

Lavon watched his face turn pale a half a second before his tiny form started to fall. Lavon reached out, catching the boy before his body could fall very far. He pressed Sammy against him and carrying him toward the house. "Wade," he called, frantic. Sammy felt warm but was shivering. "Wade!"

"At..." gasp, "Doc's..." cough, "house..." gasp.

Lavon smiled at him, trying to hide the fear creeping into his heart. "Well how would you feel about being carried there?" Sammy opened his tiny mouth, refusal clear in his eyes. Thinking quickly, Lavon winked at him, "You would be helpin' me. I need to learn to run with weight in my hands. Coach is going to start making us run while pushin' tires tomorrow."

Sammy tilted his head to the side, "You lyin' to me?"

"Scouts honor," he answered already starting to jog toward Doctor Wilkes house.

"Okay," Sammy whispered and settled into the larger man's arms.

XxX

"What are you doing here?" Zoe asked, half hiding behind the door. Her beautiful brown eyes were bloodshot and her long brown hair was falling from a ponytail. Wade grinned at her. The beer must have hit this city slicker hard.

"I'm here because I promised your father I would help him with painting his house, princess."

Her eyes darkened and her lips thinned. "Go away."

"No can do," he shrugged.

"I hate you," she hissed. "I feel like crap and you're all smiles. How? You drank as much as me!"

Wade shrugged again, "I guess I can handle my drink better than you, sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart," she growled, her face turning a little pale.

"So you do like princess!" he exclaimed as she flinched and began rubbing her head. Taking pity on her, he leaned against the door frame, "have you taken any Tylenol? It'll help with the headache and ginger ale plus sleep will help with the rest."

Zoe tried to glare but it lacked force, "I've taken something for the headache and," she grimaced, "the rest has been taken care of. Believe me."

"Oh Wade!" Doctor Wilkes called from behind Zoe. His cheerful smile slightly dimmed, "I see you're doing well. Zoe here has been feeling awful this morning. You know why that is?"

Both teens paled, Zoe going so white Wade worried she'd pass out. "Uh..."

"Yes," Harley asked, calmly. Neither of them could look him in the eye. Wade felt like a jerk for betraying doc Wilkes' trust and Zoe felt like crap. Pure and simple. "Hmm. No answer huh?" Zoe looked left while Wade looked at the mud caking his shoes. "Well since both of you seemed to have lost your tongues, I may as well put you both to work." Zoe let out a small, pitiful groan. Harley choked on a laugh. "Come on Wade, let's get the ladder and start."

XxX

Wade looked up at the house as he leaned against ladder. He knew it would be a lot of work to get the house ready for painting. Scraping all the old paint off would take at least a half a day if it came off easily, a day and a half if it didn't. With a sigh, he pushed the edge of the ladder against the broad side of the house, pressing down to make sure the wooden ladder was secure before he started his climb.

The higher up he went the more it shock, he gripped the edges a little tighter. He wasn't scared of heights, he had spent too many years climbing trees and jumping from swing ropes high above the creeks for that, but he didn't exactly love ladders. Especially ones that looked to be forty years old.

With a mental shrug, he went up a few more rungs. At least if he fell he was at the doctors house. Can't beat that response time. Once he reached the top, he pulled a metal scraper out of his back pocket and leaned his front against the top of the ladder. He pressed the edge of the metal to the house, moving with the wood grain. A smile lifted his lips at the ease with which the paint flaked off. Maybe it wouldn't take forever after all.

Wade got into a rhythm quickly. Scrape, scrape, scrape, brush any pieces of paint off with a rag, repeat. The sun beat down on him, sweat slipped from his forehead into his eyes, his tongue felt dry in his mouth, but he didn't stop. He didn't want to break, climb down and then have to restart. Best, in his mind, to keep going. The quicker he got this part done, the quicker he could start painting.

"Wade!" he heard from below. Wade carefully twisted his body, squinting against the sun to see who it was. Lavon came running toward him with something in his arms... or rather someone. Wade's heart stopped beating in his chest at the body he was carrying. "Wade!"

He jumped from fourth rung above the ground and started to run toward Lavon. His friend shook his head. "Get Doc!"

Wade nodded and flew up the stairs toward the front door. He knocked as loud and as hard as he could. Zoe yanked the door open. She opened her mouth, probably to yell at him or something similar, but whatever she saw in his eyes stopped the flood of words from being said.

"I need your daddy." He pleaded. She looked over his shoulder at Lavon coming up the stairs and nodded. She stepped back from the door and Harley appeared. "Doc, it's Sammy."

The older man's face set in fierce concentration as Lavon brought his brother inside. It was the first time he had seen him and his heart ached. His little brother's face was flush and his breathing was off. Tiny hands curled into tight balls. The two brothers looked into each others eyes and Wade forced his features to relax.

Harley motioned for Lavon to place Sammy on the couch and he leaned over the little boy. His gentle voice and hands soothed the fear from his brother. "Hey, Sammy," he said. "I'm gonna make you better. I promise."

Wade prayed with all his might that the elderly doctor was right.

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter is late. VERY late and I apologize for that. I recently got a promotion at my job which means more hours and less time for writing. I still have every intention of finishing this story. Please bear with me. Thank you for your patience and for you interest in the story. It means so much to me.


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